Fire Emblem: Night of Tales
by Kindom Rider92
Summary: In the continent of Orobia, all things-magic, dragons, genies, swords, treasure, and legends-are connected by stories. Even the powerful Fire Emblem of Orobia is one such story. But before it can be claimed and used to free the genie dragon Rerci, Orobia has to survive a war against the Argelian Empire. Heavily original character/location-based. SYOC allowed. Rated T for now.
1. Main Prologue: A Slaying of Queens

Fire Emblem: Night of Tales

By Kingdom Rider92

A/N: Well, this is quite the predicament we have come to, isn't it? I'm once again doing something NOBODY asked for. And that's making a _Fire Emblem_ story with themes of the 1,001 Arabian Nights. It takes a kind of crazy to look at the former, and say, "This s**t needs genies". This maybe my most bizarre undertaking, and I'm sorry in advance if it sucks and the fact that it's an original setting and heavily OC-centric instead of an established location with an established cast. And that there is a surprising lack of Marth and Falchion... and if my limited experience to this series being the 3DS titles and _Heroes_ turns off people. At least I plan to use Anna.

...That counts for very little.

Anyway, I'll try to make this feel like an actual _Fire Emblem_ game. Also, warning in advance, the "Argelian" language is actually Turkish... poorly Google Translated Turkish, but since Argelia is based location-wise on the Ottoman Empire, I felt that it fit. I am sorry to the people of Turkey for butchering your language.

Finally, before you ask, YES, I will probably try to incorporate a SYOC thing in. I actually have a character form I plan to use, so while you CAN try to create characters based off of other _Fire Emblem_ character creators you have (are there really any?), I have a form for you if you're interested. The link is in my Author Page.

Alright, I think I have delayed you all enough. Let's get started!

 **DISCLAIMER:** THE FOLLOWING IS A FAN FICTION. FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. 1,001 ARABIAN NIGHTS WAS TRANSLATED BY ANTOINE GALLAND. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

* * *

 _Summary: Weeks ago, Argelia's Imperial Navy launched an unprovoked attack on the nation of Ustros' port town of Nourdari. The Argelian Empress has invited the Queens of Orobia's five nations to seemingly discuss and apologize about the attack. Meanwhile, an Argelian Janissary is keeping an eye open for any signs of retaliation by the Orobians..._

* * *

 **Prologue: "A Slaying of Queens"**

 _"Oh great dragons and djinn of old,  
Are you truly there?  
If your presence yet remains,  
Please listen to this child's prayer._

 _"Guide our people to the light,_  
 _Away from this forsaken grave._  
 _Release us from our dark plights,_  
 _And break the shackles of this slave..."_

The desert continent of Orobia is home to many secrets. Some of these are great treasures who could turn a beggar into a king in a single night. Other times, the sands were the graves of various people, from famous nobles, to notorious outlaws, to entire armies. There are even lost ruins still being looked into from the Great War between the dragons and the genies that ravaged the land over 5,000 years ago over the hybrid genie-manakete, Rerci.

But the one thing Orobia always had in the desert was a story.

Each day and night in Orobia is filled with many, many tales. Probably over a thousand stories, some true, some false, lie in the sands. Nobody had to look far for a story. And the best part about stories is there is no right or wrong way to tell the same tale.

This is just one of those stories… the story of a second great war. A war for the fate of Orobia began five years prior with a simple meeting gone awry...

* * *

 **The _Aquarius_**

A large royal galleon had docked in a simple port late at night. Inside a large cabin, a lavishly decorated room, gathered around a long table was a group of six regal-looking women. The first was a brown skinned brunette with slightly pointed ears, dark blue eyes, and medium length hair wearing a red and purple blouse over burgundy pants, a gold fragment of some kind around her neck with a white gemstone in the middle, a gold circlet with a light red gem in it, and flat shoes. The second was a red headed woman, her hair into a long mid-back ponytail, with merely tan skin wearing a white and blue dress with toeless heeled shoes. The third was an olive-skinned woman with blue shoulder-length hair wearing an orange dress, a gold fragment on her own necklace with an empty hole on hers, an orange ribbon tied to the bracelets around her wrists, and simple sandals. The fourth was the oldest, a faded green-haired woman with tanned skin, a pair of silver rimmed glasses adorning her nose, and wearing a simple green coat over a dark blue shirt and brown pants with heels. The fifth was easily the youngest, a tanned, short, blonde woman about 20 with bright blue eyes wearing a simple white and pink dress concealing her pregnant stomach, elegant sandals, and a simple white and gold tiara. The final woman was a mid-back length, pink-haired woman with calm brown eyes, wearing an elegant bright red and yellow dress, a gold crown atop her head with a long red veil.

"I must thank you all, Orobian Queens, for meeting with me," the pinkette began while a maid came in with a cart full of food. As the maid served them, the pinkette continued her greeting. "Consider the _Aquarius_ Argelian soil, which I humbly welcome you to."

"It's not everyday that any of us would meet the Argelian Empress," the green-haired woman replied while the servant walked out of the room. "And the circumstances have been… rather complicated, haven't they, Princess Najiyya?" She turned to the youngest, who seemed rather uneased. "Speaking of you, why is Queen Kalia not present? No offense to you, child, but you're pregnant with the future heir of your kingdom."

"I'm not too far into my pregnancy to travel, Queen Tabia," the blonde Najiyya replied. "Queen Kalia, however, has fallen ill long before the incident in Nourdari… and this does not ease her nor me, as we were both born in Nourdari. I'm still not sure if my parents or older brother survived. My husband and father-in-law are tending to my mother-in-law and her deteriorating health. Things are not good in Ustros right now… but I have to stay strong and heed this call for all of our sakes."

"So young, yet so firm with your words," the burgundy clad queen smirked. "You have the makings of a future queen, Princess Najiyya."

"See, why couldn't you be Uprilian?" Tabia asked. "Someone with a tone like that and wise with her tongue could have whipped my Khai into shape ATOP of baring his child." Najiyya blushed at the praise and implications.

The blue and white clad woman said, "I pray Kalia endures… she, Farah here, and I were good friends, once."

"Thick as thieves," the burgundy clad queen added.

"Perhaps we owe our hostess here an introduction around the room before we actually get down to business," the orange-clad bluenette suggested, looking at the Empress. "She seems quite confused." She pointed at herself, and began, "I am Nakia, wife of Pharaoh Ammon of Rusnad."

"Queen Tabia of Upril, my husband being King Baruti," Tabia said.

"I am Queen Minoo of Cruibia, wife of King Darius Madani, the Storm Lord," the blue-clad woman said. Pointing to the burgundy clad woman, she said, "This is my life-long friend and fellow queen, Sutlana Farah Nejem of Poswa. Her husband is Sultan Mecca… you may know him by the moniker, 'the Sand Komodo'."

"Argelian Empress, tanıdıklarınızı tanımanız için bir zevk (Argelian Empress, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance)," Farah said.

The Empress replied, "Argelian'la konuştuğunu bilmiyordum, Sultana (I did not know you spoke Argelian, Sultana)."

"Yarı cin olduğunuzda, birkaç püf noktası öğrenmeye eğilimlisin (When you are a half-genie, you tend to learn a few tricks)," Farah answered.

"Bu adil değil, Sultana (It's not fair, Sultana)," Nakia protested with a playful smirk. "Argelian'ı gençliğimin geleneksel tarzında öğrenmek zorunda kaldım (I had to learn Argelian the traditional way in my youth)." The three women then laughed.

"(What are they saying?)" Najiyya questioned the other two queens. Both of them shrugged. Najiyya then introduced after the laughter died, "I am Najiyya, Princess Consort of Ustros, and my husband is Prince Rifat. My father-in-law is King Usman."

"And I am Empress Chitra, ruler of Argelia," the pinkette Empress said. "My husband is Emperor Consort Nika, and my daughter is Princess Kadri. Both of them are waiting for me back in Argelia. And Princess Najiyya, sorry about the sudden speaking of Argelian there. I was merely humoring the other queens for my delight of them speaking my native tongue. I will try to speak Orobian more often. Now, about that attack…."

While the six women talked, the rest of the ship was abuzz. In the mess hall, a young man about 17 leaned on the wall, away from the dinner being served, wearing a white turban over his brown hair and ridged ears, gold eyes, red and yellow medium armor. In his hands was a closed scroll. He watched as a servant about 24 walking through the mess hall, putting back a cloth-covered cart. However, he didn't exactly recognize her light blue hair. Not to mention that even for armed escorts, there were too many Orobian soldiers for reasonable, and many of the extras seemed too lax in this situation where their queens were present. His instincts told him something was amiss.

A voice interrupted, "Selam, çaylak. Dinlenebileceğini biliyorsun değil mi (Hey, rookie. You know you can rest, do you not)?"

"Orobians bir şeyler yapabilir (The Orobians maybe up to something)," he replied. "Söylentiler doğruysa, bu olay bizim hatamızdı ve İmparatoriçe şimdi İmparatorluğumuzla birlikte yaşayan beş insanın bulunduğu bir odada. Ya birisi ya da hepsi Empress'imizi öldürmeye karar verdiyse? Ya Orobianlar bir saldırı düzenlemek için kullanıyorsa (If the rumors were true, this incident was our fault and the Empress is now in a room with five people who are livid with our Empire. What if one or all of them decided to kill our Empress? What if the Orobians are using this to stage an attack)?"

The captain scoffed, "Sen paranoyaksın, çaylak. Yeniçerilerin kuşattığı kraliyet amiral gemisine saldıracak kadar aptalca veya cesur kimse olmazdı (You're paranoid, rookie. Nobody would be foolish or brave enough to attack the royal flagship surrounded by the janissaries)."

Before the two could argue more, a few of the off-duty soldiers suddenly slumped forward, their cups clattering to the floor. The younger of the janissaries smelt the liquid in the cup, and grimaced. Sleeping potion. He looked around, and noticed those asleep weren't just his fellow Argelian soldiers, but even some of the Orobians. However, there were now more awake Orobians than Argelians. While a good amount of the non-asleep Orobians were surprised and worried about this development, there were those who frowned in mild annoyance and those who grinned in sadistic glee.

"Well," one of the annoyed Orobians said, "it seems not everyone here took their medicine. How naughty."

"That's alright," one of the others grinned, pulling out an axe. "I hate it when it's too easy, anyway. We get to hear their screams… so more fun for us. Still, we can get started!" He then turned towards one of the sleeping Orobians, an Ustrosi pegasus knight, and pulled her up by her hair. He was seconds away from slashing her throat with his axe, when the blade was intercepted by a sword. He looked to see the young janissary's sword. The young janissary then pushed the axe away, and stabbed the rogue barbarian in the chest.

"So, little soldier thinks he can be a hero?" another of the rogue Orobians grinned while the young soldier let the villain's corpse fall, and held the unconscious girl he just rescued. "Too bad… there's more of us in the Thieves Guild than you can handle!" The loyal Orobians still awake scrambled for their weapons while the Argelian Janissaries quickly drew their blades. The young man and the unconscious pegasus knight were then shoved to the side by his superior.

"Çaylak, (Rookie)," the superior explained, "biz bununla ilgileneceğiz! Onu ayağa kaldırın ve İmparatoriçe gelin (we'll take care of this! Get her on her feet and get to the Empress)!"

The rookie nodded, and picked up the unconscious Ustrosi woman, hauling her out of the mess hall, which descended into a mess of violence rather fast. It only got worse when smoke exploded all over the _Aquarius_ , filling the interior with smoke. The young janissary ducked himself and the woman into a side room, where he got a good look at her. She was about 16, and had long teal hair, a rather thin build beneath her light red breastplate over her white and gray minidress that she wore over a pair of tan tights and thigh-high red boots. She was beautiful, but that was not what he focused on. The rookie pulled out a small bag of smelling salts, and rubbed it underneath her small nose.

The pegasus knight fluttered her green eyes awake, and looked around. She laid eyes on the janissary above her, and then looked to see she was in a room with just him. She then did what any confused young woman would do when confronted with such a situation, especially when it came from a place she thought was an attacker. Scream at the top of her lungs, and kick her attacker, not knowing he was her savior, in the stomach to wind him. She scrambled away from the stunned janissary, and feel around for a weapon. She found a spare broom, and quickly pointed it at him.

"STAY BACK!" she yelled, whacking him with the broom. "Not enough to attack Nourdari, was it!?" She whacked him again. "You drugged me, kidnapped me, and now you're trying to have your way with me!?" Each crime she accused him of, she hit him again and again. "Well, over my dead body!" The janissary caught the broom before she could hit him again. His gold eyes seemed to gleam in rage.

"I try save you!" the janissary replied. The teal-haired pegasus knight blinked at the rather abysmal Orobian, and let go of the broom. Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing a rogue soldier holding an iron lance, but before he could attack them, the janissary flipped the broom around and smashed the handle across the man's temple, knocking him down. The janissary rolled over the top of the stunned man, and slammed the broken handle by the splintered wood into the man's throat, killing him.

He grabbed the now dead traitor's lance, and looked it over, before looking back at the now shocked pegasus knight, who realized this man could have killed her at anytime with a flick of his wrist. He then surprised her by flipping the lance around, and handing it to her by the handle.

"My Orobian… not good," the janissary explained to the pegasus knight. "I speak little, but here is what happened. Traitors in Orobians. The food drugged. One try to kill you. He dead, now. Empress in danger… as are your queens."

"Well, that's simple enough," the pegasus knight said. "And you saved my life?" The janissary nodded. "I should apologize. It's just that… well, I thought you were a rapist."

"No time for apology," the janissary replied. "Empress Chitra in trouble."

"As is Princess Najiyya," the pegasus knight realized. "These must be the Ustrosi Thieves Guild! They're no Orobian traitors. They're the biggest criminals in all of Orobia! Our princess consort is with child, meaning she's an easy target!" She then whistled. As a couple more traitors were closing in, a pegasus smashed through the side of the ship, and kicked one of the traitors. "Good girl, Dandra!"

"...Huh," the janissary said while the pegasus knight got on her steed. He then drew his sword, and looked at the woman before seeing the remaining living traitors. "We clear hall, and secure the meeting room."

"Agreed," the pegasus knight nodded. "By the way, I'm Zainab."

"Kiral," the janissary replied.

The two moved ahead to get in range of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild. Seeing that he was the bigger problem, a rogue ran at Kiral, and slashed at him. Kiral blocked the blade, and slashed him, but not doing enough to take him down. Zainab, however, finished the criminal off with her lance. Kiral and Zainab worked together to clear the hallway, dealing with the Ustrosi Thieves Guild.

"Kiral," Zainab said after the last of the Thieves were dealt with, "these men don't represent all of Orobia. The Thieves Guild has been causing Ustros nothing but trouble for the past fifteen years. I lost my father because of them. I've lost knight-sisters because of them. But what happened in Nourdari… I thought Argelians were the same, if not worse."

"We are," Kiral answered. "We have good AND bad in Empire. Just like good and bad Ustrosi. Conflict gray. What happen in city not Empress' doing."

"...So the Empress didn't order the attack?" Zainab asked while they approached the meeting room. "Then who did?"

Kiral didn't answer, instead kicking the door open, and spotting the confused six women, all facing the door, and bodies on the ground. Sultana Farah had a ball of fire in her hands, Queen Nakia had a dagger, while Queen Minoo had her hand to her sword, all three sporting wounds. "İmparatoriçe Chitra (Empress Chitra)!"

"Kiral!" Chitra breathed. "Ladies, please stand down. This is one of my janissaries… he's not one of these traitors."

"Traitors, you call them..." Tabia scowled.

"Hainler?" Kiral asked.

"Gitmeden önce bizi içeri girip öldürmeye çalışan bazı Argelians vardı, Kiral (Before you came, there were some Argelians who broke in and tried to kill us, Kiral)," the Empress explained. "Sultana Farah, Kraliçe Minoo ve Kraliçe Nakia, katiller karşısında çarpıcı bir mücadele kabiliyeti sergiledi (Sultana Farah, Queen Minoo, and Queen Nakia showed remarkable fighting skill against the would be assassins)."

"But we're wounded," Farah said in Orobian. "We were barely able to get our weapons when this happened."

"Add to the fact I'm old, Najiyya is with child and even then not trained in combat, and our hostess here is unarmed except for supposedly a staff," Tabia added, "I don't think we'll last much longer."

"Are you sure, Empress Chitra, we can trust him?" Najiyya asked.

"Your Majesties," Zainab said, quickly bowing, "this man saved me. The Ustrosi Thieves Guild infiltrated the summit, and he and I worked together to find you."

"We don't have a lot of time to debate this man's trustworthiness," Nakia said. "We need to escape!"

The six followed their two soldiers out of the room, and saw the ship having erupted into fighting. The Orobian and Argelian loyalists were giving the Ustrosi Thieves Guild and the traitors their all, but there were just too many members of the Thieves Guild and not enough loyalists awake or left alive. Regardless, Kiral led his Empress and her guests (plus Zainab) towards the deck… only to find themselves far from the Ustrosi shore, a merchant ship even passing by them heading towards the shore late that night.

"I never approved of setting sail!" Chitra assured the Orobian Queens.

"And I don't have enough power to return us back to shore, in time," Farah replied. "We may be trapped… unless any of you learned how to sail?"

"I do, but I doubt we'll be able to do so safely while on the same ship as the traitors and the Thieves Guild," Tabia frowned. "We may be doomed!"

 ** _SHING. SHING._**

The eight looked to find themselves vastly outnumbered and surrounded. Some of the supposed Argelian turncoats, and members of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild. The Empress had an unreadable look on her face, but gripped her staff.

"We actually maybe doomed, after all," Nakia chimed in, looking more annoyed than in despair. **"(Tawni…** I never did see you again….)"

"(Aladdin… **Sulaiman,)"** Farah whispered, brandishing her tome. "(Your mother may not be coming home….)"

"(My dear Yasmin,)" Minoo sighed, raising her sword, "(please don't let **Janiya** follow down this path, should I not survive tonight….)"

The merchant ship, meanwhile, had a man standing in it's crow nest, looking down at the helmsman. The man called down, **"Howe!** Be careful with those turns! We nearly hit that Argelian warship!"

"Sorry about that, captain!" the helmsman, Howe, said. "But something felt… off about that! Should we turn around?"

"No!" the captain replied. "If there was something wrong, we'd only be killed either by the Argelians who'd mistake us for enemies or their enemies to avoid witnesses! If there's nothing wrong, the Argelians may just kill us for nearly scuffing their ship! Now, sail to Ustros on the double!"

"But captain…."

"That's an order, sailor!" the captain roared. "Question me again, and you'll find yourself with more problems than just losing the job you 'desperately needed'!" Howe frowned, but obeyed the order, sailing towards Ustos.

Something told him, however, that had he turned around, he could have prevented tragedy.

* * *

One single night can change the lives of so many people. This Orobian night, billions of lives were changed. The five Orobian queens did not see the sunset. The Argelian Empress was not seen again by Orobia, her fate unknown, nor the exact truth of that night revealed. But both continents did not take this meeting too well, not knowing about the traitors on both sides involved.

A war the likes that had not been seen since the dragons and genies clashed over 5,000 years ago began that night. And four souls who had not taken a part of that struggle aboard the _Aquarius_ would be driven onto the same path.

Which of their stories do you want to explore, first?

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And that's a wrap with the prologue, and how the war between Orobia and Argelia began. Due to the lack of clear details reaching the late queens' husbands (and the Argelian Empress' fate being unknown to Orobia and how likely it was a trap), it was inevitable. The truth is just the first casualty in this conflict, and we won't be getting clear answers for... at least a while.

Anyway, part of me wanted this chapter to be something of rather vague with certain details. In the original _Arabian Nights,_ which inspired this story, there were times where Scherezade connected the stories she told King Shahryar with other stories. As the story of _Night of Tales_ progresses, things are supposed to become clear, and stories are meant to intertwine. Hopefully in less than 1,001 chapters.

As for the question at the end of the chapter, also in the author page (alongside the link to the form if you want to use that, yes it's Google, I'm sorry to anyone who hates Google forms) is a poll. There are four protagonists to this story who will have a minor campaign. The gypsy storyteller, Tawni; the spare Poswali prince, Sulaiman; the Cruibian swordswoman princess, Janiya; and the Giussean privateeer, Howe. I will be, over the course of the next few chapters, releasing the first chapters of the four, so you can decide which one you like the best.

Alright, so I hope you have a nice day! Farewell, my subjects!


	2. Tawni Chapter 1: The Gypsy Storyteller

A/N: So, you are interested in the tale of Tawni...

Well, here begins Tawni's story. If you guys want an archetype comparison going into this, Tawni is a mix of the peaceful lord (she only fights if she feels like she has no choice, and tries to avoid killing unless there's no other option), the dancer (since the gypsy class in Orobia is actually a promotion AWAY from becoming the dancer), and the heroine (she is the female lead to this story). Also, just in case you were curious, this isn't REAL Roma being used in this chapter. I, for the life of me, couldn't find a real Romani language translator online, so I used Romanian. As long as it sounds foreign, right?

...I'm sorry to any real Romani reading this and are offended.

Alright, I've delayed enough. Let's get started.

* * *

 _Summary: About five years after the tragedy known as the "Widowing Massacre", life has gone on in Orobia despite the war. In the town of Cubes of the kingdom of Cruibia, a caravan of gypsies were hired by the local duke to perform a play in the honor of Cruibia's late queen. However, the play is interrupted by a group of slavers, who wish to take advantage of the chaos. Unfortunately for the slavers, these gypsies are far from helpless..._

* * *

 **Tawni's Tale, Chapter 1: "The Gypsy Storyteller"**

Throughout the world Orobia is on, there exists many, many nomadic tribes. These tribes, known as the "Romani", originated far east of Argelia, traveled there, and eventually came to Orobia. It is mainly due to the fact that they are ostracized for being traveling criminals that prevents them from ever settling down, but they do what they must to survive. This is where their more common title, "gypsy", comes from, as they tend to "gyp" people. They traveled from place to place, seeking a true home. Whether or not they will truly find it in the sands of Orobia, one has yet to see. But even they, who live outside of the norms of Orobian society, have norms that must be followed.

The Romani believe in honor, purity, and generosity in their society. They are actually quite hard workers when they are given opportunities. They are very energetic, and if given a chance, actually reliable.

For even they have been affected by the war between the nations of Orobia and the Argelian Empire. Some Romani are more subtle about it….

* * *

 **The Kingdom of Cruibia, Town of Cubes—Marketplace**

The streets of Cubes were alight in celebration. Around a massive statue of the late Queen Minoo, a crowd was gathering. Two lance-wielding soldiers watched the crowd, partially out of boredom. The foot of the statue was turned into a stage for a group of olive skinned people, wearing colorful clothes and golden jewelry.

"So," the first guard said, "what do we have here, today?"

"It appears to be a group of gypsies," the other guard replied. "This must be the entertainment that came at the request of Duke Kamyar."

"Why would the duke choose to hire thieving vagabonds to honor his late sister this day?" the first one asked.

"Maybe he likes our flair?" a female voice asked. The two looked up behind them to see a young woman, about 17 and approximately 5'6", sitting atop of the wall they were leaning on. She had long raven hair, with dark blue streaks running through it, sticking out of the red scarf atop her head. She was wearing jewelry, being a pair of gold hoop earrings and a gold chain necklace with a purple gemstone hanging off the middle. A red loose shoulderless blouse covered her medium sized bust, and she wore a long blue flowing skirt over a pair of brown shorts with a slit up the right side exposing a pouch strapped to her leg. On her feet were a pair of plain sandals. She was rather beautiful for a young woman.

"And where have you been, gypsy?" the first guard asked. "Hopefully not stealing wallets of good people." The gypsy then surprised the two of them by flipping over them and landing in front of them.

"Relax, Sir Guard, the coin I have is nothing I did not earn," the gypsy woman smirked. "We'll be on our best behavior, gentlemen. You have my word." The two guards looked at each other, before looking back towards where the gypsy stood… or at least, where she once stood, as she had disappeared into the crowd.

"Bloody gypsies," the first guard scoffed. The guard, meanwhile, did not see the group of rough-looking people walking by, grinning.

Up at in front of the crowd, a giant of an older man with graying black hair beneath a rather festive looking turban, wearing a blue and gold tunic under a long red cape and black pants stood. The man smirked at the crowd, and cleared his throat.

 _"_ _Ladies and gentlemen, both young and old,  
We have a treat for you, today.  
Witness and celebrate the tales, brave and bold,  
Of Queen Minoo in our simple play!"_

In a wagon, a small brown rabbit looked up at its owner. The gypsy woman from before, now clad in a white and pink dress with her head covered by a pink hijab and intentionally marred her face with dirt, smiled at the rabbit before petting it.

"Ține minte rolul tău, Calypso {Remember your part, Calypso}," the gypsy requested. She then turned towards the carriage's entrance.

The man on the impromptu stage pulled out a simple red flute and began to play a song. As if on cue, several gypsies appeared, and began to dance to the beat of the flute, awing the audience. They saw a choreographed rainbow of gypsies on the stage, before the rainbow gave way to reveal a young woman clad in pink and caked with mud. The woman began to sing.

 _"_ _Born to a poor family from the slums of Cubes,  
Minoo started quite down on her luck."_

At this point four other women came to her side.

 _"_ _But a band of friends helped her escape,  
And upon a new path she struck!"_

The five women began dancing together in sync at a fast pace, while the old man and several others played instruments alongside them.

 _"_ _Minoo was first joined by Farah,  
her one tried and true best friend.  
Together they traveled through Orobia,  
Staying by each other until the end._

 _"_ _Next came the group's heart Kalia,  
A pure and rather gentle soul,  
who sought to heal the wounded and sick  
No matter how high the toll._

 _"_ _Then came beloved Etti,  
who had a great and mighty mind  
Minoo always relied on her  
whenever the five were in a bind._

 _"_ _Finally, there was Adre,  
who was small yet quite strong,  
her surprising might and daring  
have been the subject of many a song!"_

Soon enough, though, the five women were "confronted" by a group of "bandits". The young gypsy woman took out a dulled blade… for performing reasons, of course. The other women also brandished practice weapons as well. While "fighting" off the "bandits", the blue-streaked woman in pink continued her tale.

 _"_ _Even when facing mortal danger,  
Minoo was not one to be afraid!  
She set out to find the sands' treasures,  
leader of her loyal brigade!"_

The "bandits" were defeated, and applause was offered from the crowd. Soon enough, the man who introduced the little musical came back, still playing his flute but dressed in ragged clothes, and humbly bowed to them. They curtsied back, and danced on by him.

 _"_ _Heroes they were to the common folk  
in an age of fear and strife,  
facing off brigands and monsters and the dark  
while trying to improve their way of life."_

The five women soon saw a rabbit enter from the side, which hopped around them before hopping into the lead dancer's head. In the rabbit's mouth was a scroll, and she dropped it into the lead's hands before hopping away, while she opened the scroll. She gasped in quasi-horror at its contents.

 _"_ _Trouble had emerged from the west  
when a war had been declared.  
Minoo feared for her drafted brother's life  
and struck out to see him spared."_

The five women danced in frantic, as if to imitate a mad dash. But the five of them stopped when a smoke bomb erupted, and in front of them, a chest of gold trinkets and a rusted sword laid in front of them.

 _"_ _But on their way back to save him,  
They discovered a great treasure horde.  
Little did the maidens know, of course  
the power that rested in the sword…."_

 ** _BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

The town square shook, and everyone looked to see a building now on fire. The pair of soldiers looked at each other. "Is that… the Temple of Rerci!?" the second soldier said. "Oh no!"

"We ought to do something about it!" the first said, and the two ran towards it. The gypsies on stage all looked scared and concerned… but the one in pink. She then stepped forward, and calmly looked at the panicked audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm!" she told them. "There will be people heading to save the temple. And even if it falls, your faith in Rerci will keep her going so when She is free, she will bless all of you."

"Remain calm!?" a male voice asked. "Wise talk coming from a godless gypsy! How do we know this wasn't you or your people!?" There were murmurs, partially in agreeance with the guess.

"And what purpose, pray tell," the woman retorted, "would that accomplish, good sir? If we wanted to cause trouble for you, blowing up a holy temple would NOT be a part of it! We don't even have that strong of explosives. Think: who'd have the most to benefit from this? Not us 'godless gypsies', but anarchists or people who would want to sow panic." The crowd calmed down, somewhat. "I don't know what exactly is happening, but I know two things: one, panicking and pointing blame are not going to help anyone! And two, before you even consider blaming us, we were all right here, dancing in front of you! You all are our witnesses, just like we are witnesses to you!"

A laugh broke out, causing the gypsy woman to look at the rough looking group from before storm in, pushing through the crowd. "Well, well!" one of the men grinned, standing in front of her. "Beautiful and smart! I'm impressed with your sharp wit and tongue!"

"I take it that you're the one who's responsible for this interruption," the woman asked. "That was incredibly rude. I suggest you apologize to these nice people... and pay for all of the damages."

"We don't apologize," another of the ruffians scoffed. "We enslave!"

"Enslave?" the woman asked.

"W-W-Wait!" the accuser from before gasped. "That man… he's the leader of a band of slavers!"

"I have to say, I'm disappointed that you prevented the crowd from running in various directions," the slaver said, gripping the gypsy girl's chin. "Fine livestock is so much easier to catch when separated from the herd. That's the problem with being too sharp, I suppose. Oh well… good thing more of my people are around town, but no matter. I'll have fun dulling you before selling you, gypsy filth."

"Oh, I'm afraid my wits and tongue are not the only sharp things you'll find if you don't let go of me in the next three seconds," the gypsy replied, slipping her right hand back. "One… two…"

"Oh, please!" the slaver said, looking at the sword at her side. He grabbed it, and held it up. "It's a fake sword. You can't hurt anyone with this!"

"Three," the woman said, flicking her right leg up to reveal a bronze dagger strapped to the pouch on her leg, and grabbing the dagger while the slaver was surprised. She then rammed the dagger into his arm, forcing him to back off.

"You little bitch!" he growled, grabbing with his free hand the dagger before pulling it out, and taking a quick drink of a vulnerary while the woman twirled backwards. "Ooh, you're going to regret that!" Before he could make good on his threat, his knife met a flute… which had been sharpened. The old man from before had blocked the knife. He then pushed the knife back, making the slaver back away.

"Trebuie să fii atent cu atacurile tale, fiica mea {You have to be careful with your attacks, my daughter}!" the old man said, standing in front of her.

"Îmi pare rău, părinte {I'm sorry, Father}!" the woman said with a bow. She looked to see a couple more of the slavers brandish their weapons. "Se pare că acești brigăzi sunt supărați {Apparently these brigands are upset}."

"Atunci hai să-i distrăm, Tawni {Then let's entertain them, Tawni}," her father nodded. He then whistled. As if on cue, a smoke cloud erupted in the middle of the stage. A young, pale skinned, gray eyed, curvy blonde woman, clad in a yellow and black belly top, a yellow veil over her lower face, a black belly veil over her otherwise bare midriff connecting to her long yellow skirt, a jeweled yellow headdress, and a pair of black slippers emerged from the smoke, brandishing a magic tome.

"So, I guess we AREN'T doing the play, anymore?" the woman asked with a frown. "That's quite the unfortunate twist of fate. But I see these ruffians are not going to be easily swayed."

"Sorry, Nasira," Tawni said, "but we have a different problem. I know you just recently joined us, but would you mind?"

"I'll gladly assist you and your father, Tawni," Nasira answered. "After all, heroines assist those in need."

"I was more expecting Akiba to get here first," Tawni's father responded. He was answered by the steps of a a camel, and a woman atop of it. Said woman was rather tall, with short black hair, and wearing a set of green and white armor atop her mount, brandishing a sword. "There she is."

"Indeed I am," Akiba smirked, throwing it to the old man. She pulled out her own axe. "So, just the four of us against these louts? Fine by me, Guaril."

"Hi, Mother," Tawni smirked. "Let's deal with these true criminals, shall we?"

"First things first," Guaril interjected. "Tawni, your dagger?"

"Right," Tawni said. "I'll get it back." Tawni then waited for the lead slaver to approach her. She then ran by him, and smirked when he turned around. He then noticed her twirling her knife, and looked at his empty hand. "It's my trademark Pickpocket ability. I can take anything in your inventory just by seemingly attacking you. Of course, it leaves me open, later, but it's kind of worth it." He growled, and brandished a whip.

"You need to learn your place, wench!" he growled before whipping at Tawni, who dodged it. He was distracted by the cry of one of his men flying through the air, landing between the two of them with a sword wound.

"Said 'wench' is my daughter, sir," Guaril interjected, twirling his sword. "You will NOT be insulting her in my presence and getting away with it." The slaver then whipped at him, only for Guaril to disappear via a smoke bomb, and reappear behind him. Unfortunately for Guaril, he also missed his strike.

"A trickster, I see," the slaver leader grinned. "There's only one trickster in all of Orobia who answers to the name of 'Guaril'. I know who you are… and how much a certain pair of men each want to see you DEAD. Wonder which one will pay more for your body?" Guaril's eyes widened for half a second before scowling.

"Father?" Tawni asked herself aloud. She was interrupted by a gust of cold wind breezing past her, slamming into a barbarian that was about to sneak up on her. Nasira approached her.

"Tawni, you must focus on the villains!" Nasira chided.

"She's not wrong, Tawni," Akiba agreed, slashing down the stunned barbarian. "You're kind of a glass cannon."

"Right," Tawni admitted. She tightened her grip on her knife, and spotted a mercenary among the slavers. She then slashed him with it a few times with her knife, wounding him. He turned towards her, but Tawni blocked his blade with her dagger. "Good thing daggers are good at reducing strength," the gypsy pointed out. She then flipped back, making him hit only the ground. Tawni then finished the fight by striking him with the blunt side of her knife.

She turned to see her father fighting the slaver leader. She recognized his class as that of an explorer, a combatant class that sneaks through ruins and takes treasure, but fights with whips. Her father was struggling with him, so she decided to sneak up on him, and take his whip, disarming him. Guaril took this opportunity to slash the leader. However, it wasn't a deep slash, leaving him alive, but hurt.

"A fost o performanță excelentă, Tawni {That was an excellent performance, Tawni}," her father smirked at her while she handed him the stolen whip. He used it to bound the slaver leader. A crowd had gathered, and even the city guard had showed up. "Cred că ar trebui să plecăm acum {I think we should leave, now}."

"De ce, părinte {Why, Father}?" Tawni asked. One of the guards walked over to the band of gypsies.

"Which of you is in charge of this band of rabble?" the guard asked.

"I am," Guaril answered, standing in front of Tawni. "Guaril Dighton at your service. This is my daughter, Tawni, my wife Akiba, and the dark mage here is Tawni's new friend… we can't place her accent, but she's not Orobian or Argelian, and we call her Nasira."

"Akiba?" one of the guards asked. "As in… Lady Akiba, the Queen's Guard Commander? Where have you been these past ten years!?" Akiba frowned.

"It's a long story," Akiba said. "But I retired from that life. Now, I'm with Guaril." Tawni shot her mother a confused look. Both of her parents were hiding something from her.

"A pleasure to meet you all," Nasira curtsied to the guards. Tawni giggled at the blonde's action.

"Well, Mr. Dighton… we have thank you for helping catch this scum. Surprisingly, the Duke and his nieces, the Princesses, were both impressed. We'll see they're punished."

"Thank you," Tawni nodded. Turning to her father, she asked, "Now that I think about it, slavery is illegal in eastern Orobia, and these men have bounties on their heads, right? Wouldn't that mean there's a reward?"

"True, there probably IS a reward," Guaril admitted. "However… I have a distinct feeling we aren't going to be able to collect."

"That feeling is true," the guard replied. "Even though you saved a lot of lives, today, vigilantes aren't exactly welcome here in Cruibia. The only reason I don't run you lot in is because you saved so many people. My generosity is only good for the next hour. I suggest you pack up and leave." Tawni looked at her father, surprised.

"Does this have ANYTHING to do with us being Romani?" Guaril questioned.

"Hey, I let you lot perform," the guard replied. "You're lucky that we DID. Now, be thankful, take whatever gold was agreed upon, and leave. Half an hour, now, for being rude." He then marched away, leaving Tawni scowling at him.

"(Oala a numit ceainicul negru {The pot called the kettle black},)" she whispered to her father. He shook his head.

"Wait, we're being kicked out of the town after we saved it?" Nasira asked. Tawni sighed.

"Oh, right, Nasira, you're new," she remembered. "Yeah, this is sadly the life of a group of vagabonds like us Romani. Even the times we do good, we're 'rewarded' with suspicion and backhanded thanks." Turning to Guaril, she said, "Father, I'll take care of cleaning up the stage, you can collect our payment. But… afterwards, can we talk at camp? You are the rom baro of the caravan, after all, so you're probably busy."

"And as rom baro, I can make an excuse or two so we're not disturbed," Guaril reminded his daughter. "The elders won't mind too much." He gave her a quick hug, and she smiled before turning back to the stage, Calypso running up to her. Nasira walked behind Tawni.

"I have to thank you again for letting me be a part of this caravan, Tawni," Nasira said to the woman placing her pet rabbit on her shoulder. "I know I'm new to Orobia, but… that's quite the act of kindness."

"So why did you come to Orobia, Nasira?" Tawni asked, picking up some of the supplies. "It can't exactly be the war. Your dialect isn't Argelian nor is it any Orobian accent I've heard of. I can't place it."

"Can't a maiden of darkness have her secrets?" Nasira replied. Tawni raised an eyebrow, more in annoyance than confusion. "...I sense you aren't a fan of secrets, Tawni."

"...I'm not," the gypsy woman admitted. "At least, not of those I'm close to. Apparently, Father's upset at least two men whom want him dead, but he's never told me about these enemies. And also, now that I think about it, Mother DID come into our lives ten years ago… and she married Father almost four years ago, after the Widowing Massacre." She looked at her gemstone around her neck. "I know I'm not Mother's child, yet I still love her. She has practically raised me all this time. But I wonder… if why Father has never talked about my birth mother was because of his enemies?"

"Perhaps he has a point about not sharing," Nasira answered. "If you knew the exact truth, what would stop you from pursuing what your birth mother's dark secrets, and get yourself killed?"

"How do you know they're dark?" Tawni questioned. Nasira shrugged.

"What other secrets would your parents hide from you?" Tawni blinked.

"Well, I believe I'm old enough to actually endure them," she replied. "I'll ask him when I get a chance to talk to him."

"Ask him what, Tawni?" a male voice asked. The two women looked to see a pair of men having walked over. They had the exact same black hair color, green eyes, 5'8" height, and face, but with slight differences. One of the two was clad in red clothes and had red tips on his wild bangs, while the other had on green clothes and had a green turban on his head. While the green-clad man was actually working, the red-clad one was casually lying to the side.

"Sorry that we didn't have our scene, Tawni," the green-clad man said. "I had just washed my camel, too. I think I'd make a convincing King Darius."

The red-clad man asked, "So, was this a secret admirer you were discussing? I assure you, he doesn't hold a candle to me!"

"I'm talking about my father," Tawni frowned, rolling up a carpet. "Kareem, my love life is NOT something I just discuss openly while we're working." She then shoved the carpet into his arms. "Acum, te rog să fii util ca Jamal {Now please make yourself useful like Jamal}."

She then walked away from him to go pack up another thing, while Kareem looked at Nasira. "You heard her, Kareem," Nasira replied. "She was talking about her father. That is all I'm at liberty to say."

"So you WEREN'T talking about me behind my back?" Kareem asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

"You were not mentioned at at all," the dark mage answered. "Now, we must make haste. We're apparently being run out of Cubes." She then walked past him.

"Aye-aye, ma'am," Kareem smirked, turning to stare at her walk, particularly the movement of her hips and rump. He was then hit with a cold gust of wind in the face, forcing him to close his eyes. Nasira had turned back, and placed her finger on his chin to make him look at her.

"Eyes up here, please," she requested. Jamal offered his brother a sympathetic look before patting his shoulder.

"Vor exista și alte șanse, Kareem {There will be other chances, Kareem}," the green brother replied before hauling away a large chest.

Several minutes later, most of the gypsies' equipment was packed up and stored inside a camel-pulled wagon. "Ar trebui să o facă {That should do it}," Tawni said, dusting her hands off. "Acum, pentru a găsi Tatăl {Now, to find Father}."

"Um, excuse me!" a female voice interjected. The gypsy woman turned to see a brunette woman approximately two years her senior with tanned skin, bright brown eyes, a bright red and pink dress over her slim figure with a silver tiara adorning her head, walking up to her. She curtsied before saying, "Greetings, 'Mother'. I am glad to see you."

"'M-Mother'?" Tawni asked. "Wait, you're talking about my character, Queen Minoo… oh my gods, you're one of the Cruibian princesses."

"Indeed," the woman answered. Tawni gave her own curtsy. The princess introduced herself, "I am Crown Princess Yasmin Madani of Cruibia. That was a great play… the parts I saw before the battle were very accurate, by the way. How did you learn all of that, Miss…?"

"Tawni." She thought about it for a moment. "When Father agreed to do this for Duke Kaymar, I volunteered for the part of the late queen," Tawni explained. "The Duke, knowing much about his sister, was willing to tell me quite a bit. I just worked a lot on the song."

"I'd love to hear more," Yasmin beamed. "There's quite a bit of information that Father and Uncle Kaymar haven't exactly told me."

"Well, normally, Princess Yasmin, I'd indulge you," Tawni said. "However, the City Guard has made it clear they don't like our kind around here." Yasmin sighed.

"I'm sorry about that," Yasmin said. "I'll have a word with the guard responsible for so rudely ejecting the people who were performing something about my late mother AND saved so many innocent lives later. But for right now… if you'd like, I have a job offering for you in a few months time." Tawni's eyebrow rose in surprise.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Alright, so that was Tawni's first chapter. You might notice that, for a main character, she's surprisingly lacking use of a sword in physical combat. This is intentional, as Tawni isn't a lord or whatever noble class you might expect. Nope... Tawni's a gypsy, which are a new class introduced to _Night of Tales_. They're a female-exclusive class designed to cripple enemies, pick locks, and avoid drawing physical enemy attention (because they're physically squishy) while being your go-to unit for dispatching of magical enemies. At least until you can find some Dread Fighters or Adventurers.

Tawni starts out by using daggers, something she shares with her father, Guaril... who is a Trickster. Before you ask, YES, Tricksters are a viable unisex promotion (along with Assassin) to either Gypsies or Rogues, the Gypsy's male counterpart. Akiba, her stepmother, is a Great Knight (and notice mounted cavalry that aren't in the skies use camels. That is an intentional design choice, because mounted cavalry do NOT travel in the desert well in the main games... but Orobian cavalry uses camels, an animal far more often seen in Arabian Nights settings. Finally, Nasira is a Dark Mage... yeah, I know it's a bit early, but you can play/read the prologue campaigns in any order you choose, so yeah, have an early-game dark mage. She doesn't have dark magic spells, though... you'll have to get those, later.

Anyway, if you want more of Tawni's tale, let me know in the votes. Farewell, my subjects!


	3. Sulaiman Chapter 1: The Poswali Spare

A/N: So, you are interested in the tale of Sulaiman...

Sulaiman is, in simple terms, a mix of the two standard lord archetypes. He's a peaceful lord, wishing to play the political and diplomatic way, but isn't given the chance because Poswa has a negative history with spare princes. That's where his martial lord side comes out, and he's his most dangerous. Do NOT screw with the people he cares about. He believes in second chances, but not thirds, and is willing to get his own hands dirty.

So, without further ado, we'll get started with this.

* * *

 _Summary: In the kingdom of Poswa, approximately five years after the disaster known as the Widowing Massacre, the kingdom has started preparing for the impending invasion of Argelia's forces. But Poswa is known for its warriors, so it's confident in its defenses. So confident, in fact, that its Sultan hosts a tournament in Poswa's capital of Tanuhah as a rallying cry for the soldiers and for the entertainment of nobles, who choose champions and bet on the victor. But the younger of the two princes of Poswa, determined to be seen, isn't content to just watch this year..._

* * *

 **Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 1: "The Spare Poswali Prince"**

To the southwest parts of Orobia lies the country of Poswa. One of the oldest countries of Orobia, it has clung to many traditions through its history since the age of Dragons and Djinn, where dragons once ruled the west. Ever since the fateful Dragon-Djinn War was caused by a younger brother seeking to hurt his older brother in any way possible for not agreeing with his ideals, there was a warning:

"Trust not the spares, lest you wish a dagger in your back."

That warning resulted in centuries of persecution against younger siblings, especially those in positions of power. However, it was more often than not an untrue warning. The younger siblings often resented the firstborns of inherited positions, craving the power that came with inheritance. Others were tired of the persecution, and gave into the pressure. Others were actually good, but these ones were never given a chance and often targeted to prevent them from getting any such ambitions, usually resulting in them dying young. In the 500-year history of Poswa's latest ruling family, House Nejem, only one non-firstborn so far, Sultan Gizeh Nejem, had actually managed to successfully inherit the position… and not make a complete mess of things.

However, this story is not about Gizeh, who was long-dead by the time of the Orobian-Argelian War. This story is about his great-grandson, another spare prince, who's frequently had odds stacked against him, but alas kept pressing on with his well-intended heart, even after about five years after his mother passed in the Widowing Massacre. He had no true idea that his drive and kindness were about to pay off….

* * *

 **City of Tanuhah, Kingdom of Poswa—Castle Courtyard**

In the courtyard of the castle, a crowd had gathered. In the center of a stand sat a graying brown-haired man who seemed rather underweight with a thick beard, wearing a white turban that had a black headpiece attached, a red regal shirt over black pants, and a pair of black shoes. Standing to his side was a woman in her mid-forties with short black hair, wearing a red and white dress with a pair of black gloves on her hands, holding a staff. She looked at the two empty seats beside her, and then looked towards the glasses-clad, shoulder-length purple-haired young woman walking up, wearing a set of brown robes over a white top and black skirt over her attractive figure.

"Where are they?" the older woman asked the younger. The purple-haired woman sighed in defeat.

"I have no exact idea where Crown Prince Aladdin is… again," the younger woman said. "As for Prince Sulaiman, I DO know where he is… but be warned you may not like it, Lady Qiana."

"Lamia," Qiana frowned, "what's Prince Sulaiman up to?"

"My liege is getting ready," Lamia answered, taking a seat.

"'Getting ready'?" Qiana repeated. "It's a bloody tournament! All he had to do was get dressed, look presentable, sit in that seat you're keeping warm, and choose his champion! Same thing with Prince Aladdin! What could Sulaiman possibly—"

"He IS his own champion," the old man said, making the two women look at him. The old man offered a small smirk while Lamia nervously lowered her head, and Qiana looked almost panicked. "Somehow, I knew he'd do that."

"Has the prince gone mad!?" Qiana asked. "He's going to get himself hurt, or worse! Piss off the wrong people who already want him dead! Lamia, you're his retainer! Why on earth didn't you stop him!?"

"Because, Vizier," Lamia said, "he ordered me not to. He reasoned that whoever was chosen as his champion in this tournament would either throw the tournament on purpose out of spite for him, or be sabotaged… also out of spite for him. Him fighting for himself is the only probable outcome where he at least has a chance of winning."

"I'll admit, these tournaments are rigged against my younger son," the man said, stroking his beard. "The nobles still don't trust him, I see."

"Well, the nobles that follow Duke Zahar, at least," Lamia observed. "He's still convinced that Prince Sulaiman, being a spare prince, is a threat to Poswali national security. Does he not really know what will happen, soon?"

 ** _BONGGGGGGGG!_**

Their conversation died while the old man stood up, and addressed the crowd. "Let the tournament begin! May the challengers step into the arena!"

In the back behind a tent, a man was finishing getting his armor on. "How do I look, Idris?" the man asked. He was tall, approximately 6'0", with brown skin, blue eyes, straight black hair, a slight beard on his face, wearing brown and red armor over his shirt and pants. At his hip was a practice sword, and in his hand was a brown turtle mask.

Standing across from his was a man about his age but shorter than him with neat blue hair, wearing a white hooded cape over his red vest and black shirt and pants. He was a bit less built than him, but seemed proper. He put on his own turtle mask. "I'd say you're fine, m'lord," the man known as Idris said. "Ready for battle."

"Good," the first young man said. "I'd hate to disappoint Father. What about Aladdin?"

"No sign of Prince Aladdin, Lord Sulaiman," Idris said. "I don't think he considered this tournament worth his time."

"A shame, really," an older male voice said. The two looked to see a man in his mid-50s walking over with a camel wearing thick red armor, holding yet another turtle mask. "You could have showed him just what you're capable of on top of your father under my tutelage." He then looked the prince up and down. "No bow, Prince Sulaiman?"

"No practice arrows, today," Sulaiman answered. "We don't want to kill any of our potential soldiers, Sir Barack."

"Fair enough point," the knight, Barack, said, mounting the camel and grabbing a nearby practice axe, while Idris flicked a dulled dagger out. All three put their masks on. "It's time… let's go."

The three men walked out to see several Poswali warriors ready for battle. The man in the box stood up, and nodded at Sulaiman before turning to the crowd. "As usual, the last team physically standing are the champions of this tournament," he explained. "May the gods smile upon you! Now… begin!"

Sulaiman drew his sword, and saw a mercenary turning his attention to him. The younger prince intercepted the mercenary's sword with his own, and managing to land a clean blow on the mercenary. Idris, meanwhile, came in and struck him with the dulled knife on the back of the head, knocking him down and eliminating him from the tournament. The two nodded at each other… until a knight was tossed to the ground in front of them, eliminated. The two turned to see Barack smirking his mask.

"You have to keep your eyes on ALL the enemies, boys," he advised them. He then looked to see an explorer, brandishing a whip, preparing to strike. Sulaiman rushed over, and blocked the whip. While the prince still stood, his mask was cracked by the strike. The explorer was stunned by the prince's appearance long enough for Sulaiman to hit him with a few strong strikes, eventually knocking him down.

"Shoot," Sulaiman sighed, looking at the chunk of his mask on the ground. The group of combatants still remaining in the courtyard stared at Sulaiman gripping his mask, and taking it off. "Well, then… we still have a match, don't we? Pretend I'm an ordinary man!"

"Oh gods, is he REALLY doing this!?" Qiana asked while the combatants looked at each other. "Why on earth is he going out of his way to do this?"

"It's obvious, Qiana," the old man said. "Sulaiman really wants people to see him as a human being, and not as an evil spare."

"(That's not all, Your Majesty,)" Lamia whispered. The old sultan did not hear it, nor did he look at the retainer.

Meanwhile, a middle aged man with brown spiky hair, a thick beard, and red regal armor sat up. He frowned. "And here I was expecting an easy win from my champion with Aladdin not competing… that explains why Sulaiman's champion didn't accept my anonymous bribe the other day. Oh well." He turned to the green-haired axe-wielding barbarian wearing a brown leather vest, red pants, and quite muscular for about 5'7" not far from Sulaiman, and called, "Well? The 'prince' is asking for the fight to keep going, Nail. Give it to him!"

"I was going to fight, anyway," the green-haired man answered. "I was just surprised to see that Poswali nobles are still willing to get in scraps with us common folk." He then pulled out an odd looking double-sided club, and smirked. "Good thing I brought something like this."

"Is that… a dual club?" Barack asked. "From Xuhua? Didn't see that coming."

"What?" Idris asked. Sulaiman barely blocked Nail's swing, but the club's surprisingly long range allowed Nail to push Sulaiman's sword down and he then headbutted the prince, causing him to back up.

"Be careful, Prince Sulaiman," the old knight warned while fighting off more challengers, "that is a dual club. It inverts the typical weapon triangle, making axes stronger against swords. You're not going to get hits in that easily."

Sulaiman wiped the blood off his nose, before saying, "So going to be able to easily hit him…."

He then dodged Nail's next swing, and swung himself, but was quickly blocked by the dual club's reach. However, Sulaiman grinned, confusing Nail. It was at that point Idris, having realized what Sulaiman was up to, ran in and struck with his dulled dagger, getting a good hit on Nail. The barbarian still stood, but dropped his dual club to grab Idris by the wrist and flipped him out of the ring, eliminating Sulaiman's male retainer.

"Idris!" Sulaiman called.

"I'll be fine," Idris said. "Give him hell, m'lord."

"Ooh, what a counter," the spiky haired man mockingly winced. "Seems I put my chips in the best man, Sultan Mecca. This tournament is as good as mine, since there's no weapon anyone left has that can counter my champion's dual club." He looked at Sulaiman, and called to Mecca, "Your son should surrender now, and spare himself any further humiliation in front of this audience. Fitting, since he is your spare child."

"...You really think I'm going to just quit, Duke Zahar?" Sulaiman silently asked.

"What exactly are you trying to prove by parading yourself in front of these people, boy?" Zahar asked. "You're a spare prince… you can't claim the throne. And your older brother isn't here to show him what to be on guard for. Even if he was, that would be a stupid move even if you were a threat to him. Which you aren't, if there's anything to believe. I've heard from your father that Aladdin has won all of your sparring sessions, and I don't see you displaying your mother's magical talents, despite your status as a quarter-genie. The only thing you probably have better than your brother, if anything, is your archery skills… and you don't have a bow, today, because there weren't any practice arrows."

'(It's true, there weren't any….)' Barack thought to himself while eliminating another foe.

"And even if you somehow manage to beat Nail," Zahar said, "it won't change anything. Nobody here trusts you, Sulaiman… not me, not any of these other nobles with common sense, and sure as hell not your father. You may have yet to make any major move against your brother, but we all know it's inevitable you two will clash for real… and he'll win, and rid us of you. None of us will accept you. So quit this pathetic display of bravado, and surrender while you still have some dignity left."

"He's not going to, Duke Zahar!" Lamia spoke up. Everyone in the courtyard, even Sulaiman and Mecca, turned to see Lamia standing up. "Prince Sulaiman may be outmatched in terms of weapons, but he isn't so easily beat in determination and tactics. He'll best your champion." She turned to Nail, and said, "My apologies, good sir, but my liege is about to win over you."

"You have to put more fire into your insults, little cleric," Nail advised her. "You could have at least said, 'my liege is about to whoop your arse in front of all these people'. But that's alright… I'll at least make him earn it."

"Wait, Nail!" Zahar interrupted. He turned to Lamia, and smirked. "Want to put your money where your mouth is, young cleric? I'll tell you what to make this interesting. We throw out that knockdown rule, and the two go at it with a straight up brawl. If a man can't get up by 10 or he's out of the ring, he loses. When Nail inevitably wipes the floor with your prince as he deserves, you come work for me. I'm sure I can put you to good use as one of my handmaidens… of course, your uniform is going to need work. It covers far too much skin."

Lamia's cheeks turned pink at the implications. "And if Sulaiman wins…?" she asked. Zahar snapped his fingers, and one of his mercenaries brought forward a sheathed scimitar. Mecca sat up, and visibly gripped his chair.

"Many years ago, House Sayegh was given this blade by House Nejem as a wedding gift for one of their house's daughters to wed that prince," Zahar answered. "Seeing as House Sayegh had been wiped out by an unfortunate… incident, this sword fell into my house's possession. Sultan Mecca has been trying to reclaim it for years, as the blade holds a great deal of prestige. Consider it my raise, little cleric, to match your servitude. Do you call or do you finally admit that you do not believe in your spare lordling?" The other nobles and many members of the crowd all began to murmur, while Lamia gritted her teeth.

"Lamia," Sulaiman said. "I appreciate your words. You've been one of my few allies in this. But you don't have to take his bet for me to fight." He flipped his sword, and sank into a fighting stance. "I'm winning this not for a sword… but for my friend."

"What did I say about this facade you put up of a decent man?" Zahar questioned.

"It's not a facade," Sulaiman replied. "Lamia Gerges may serve as my retainer, but she is more than that to me. She's been my actual friend since we were small. And you're not doing a damn thing to her while I have anything to say about it!"

"I think that's House Nejem's answer to your bet," Mecca said. "My house will take Taryn back, yet, Zahar. At least with House Sayegh, Taryn had been used and cherished like a real blade should. With House Botros, it's pretty much a glorified wall decoration. House Nejem will restore it to it's proper glory." Zahar frowned at the minor insult before smirking and turning to his champion.

"Nail," Zahar said, "hurry up and put this spare noble in his place, would you? I'll double what I promised to pay you, and I'd like to return with my new handmaiden, soon." He then laughed while Lamia scowled.

"Forget the payment," Nail said, cracking his neck. "I want a fair fight. Come at me, Prince Sulaiman!"

Nail then ran at Sulaiman, and swung with his club. Sulaiman barely dodged, and countered with his own swing. To his and Nail's surprise, he hit the barbarian. Nail, however, struck Sulaiman in the stomach before trying to smack Sulaiman in the head. The prince surprised Nail again by grabbing the handle of the club, barely catching the swing. He then forced the club to be planted in the ground. Sulaiman, with not even a grunt, slammed his unarmed fist into the handle of the club, snapping it in half. Of course, doing so lodged a few splinters into his hand, but he seemed to ignore it and the blood, instead focusing on using his sword.

"Well, ain't that something," Nail said, kicking the now useless lower half of his club away, and pulling out a practice axe. "What's this second wind…?"

"Is that…?" Mecca asked. "It is. I knew he inherited that trait, but I didn't think he mastered it."

"Inherited what, m'lord?" Lamia asked. "This is the first time I'm seeing this."

"House Nejem has a very nasty habit of not knowing when to give up," Mecca admitted. "While it's blinded us and has led to the deaths of MANY of our people, young Lamia… it's gotten us through tough scrapes. While it's different for each of us, it seems to show in my son by IGNORING the proverbial weapon triangle when he's nearly out of steam."

"So, you're saying proverbially, the closer Lord Sulaiman is to death… the more he'll just power through the whole 'lances beat sword' thing? Or in this case, a dual club beating his sword?"

"Yes," Mecca said while Sulaiman's sword clashed with Nail's axe. "Of course, the sword is double-edged. This means technically, the entire weapon triangle is thrown out… and they can hit each other evenly, now."

"High risk, high reward," Qiana said while frowning. "M'lord, with all due respect, it's not enough. Are you seriously betting one of your own son's honor AND his retainer just to get a lousy blade your grandfather had given back?"

"I'll forgive you for calling Taryn a LOUSY blade," Mecca replied, looking at Sulaiman and Nail clash while Barack pushed a few more competitors out. "That sword is thousands of years old, and, in the right hands, can control the very earth itself. But it chooses who can control its tremendous power… it perhaps couldn't work with me. It could work with either of my sons, however…."

"Still, it's risking one of your employees over a sword," the vizier pointed out. "It's kind of petty, m'lord."

Back in the fight, Sulaiman and Nail kept their clash up, the two staring as sparks flew from their weapons. Both men were battered, but grinning. "And here I was almost believing Zahar that you weren't worth anything," Nail said. "You aren't half-bad for a pampered noble, Princeling."

"I don't think of myself as pampered," Sulaiman replied. "But it's time we ended this."

"You're right," Nail agreed.

The two men pushed again, but eventually, Sulaiman pushed up on the axe, caught it with his sword under the axe blade, and pushed upwards, sending the axe flying. Before Nail could realize it, Sulaiman then knocked Nail backwards a few feet, landing on his butt. Nail looked up at the prince, who sheathed his sword, and extended a hand. Nail raised an eyebrow, until Sulaiman pointed downwards. Nail followed Sulaiman's finger, and realized very quickly what Sulaiman had done. He smirked.

"That ring out rule," Nail chuckled. "I guess you win."

"I guess so," Sulaiman said, extending his hand once more. This time, Nail took it, and shook Sulaiman's hand. "Almost had me there… Nail, was it?"

"Yeah," the barbarian answered. "Not the sharpest name, but I can certainly smack you around a bit."

"Indeed you could," Sulaiman said while Idris and Barack came over. The crowd was in awe at the two men brushing off the past few minutes of beating the living hell out of each other… and more importantly, Sulaiman had actually WON the tournament.

"...How in the world…?" Zahar asked.

"I do believe we had a bet, Duke Zahar," Lamia called. "I do believe that sword is mine, now. And I know just whom to give it to."

"...Fine, take your damn sword," Zahar said, snapping his fingers. "Looks like I WON'T be having a lovely young new handmaiden coming home."

The sword was brought to the royal booth, and presented to Lamia. The cleric unsheathed the blade from its scabbard, and looked at it. It was a scimitar… predictable because of the fact that the blade was Orobian. However, the metal in it seemed odd. It was steel, but at the same time, the steel looked to be tempered around a large curved bone. The hilt appeared to be hardened stone covered in vines, yet somehow comfortable in the hand. The sword felt light, but to wield it… something told Lamia that it would be much heavier. She sheathed the sword.

She turned to see Sulaiman coming up, and politely knelt down while raising the sword to him. "M'lord… this is now yours."

"Lamia, you don't have to do this," Sulaiman said.

"I don't exactly have swordsmanship training, so the sword would be useless in my hands," Lamia said. "Furthermore, Sultan Mecca wished for the sword to be returned to House Nejem… and you are a member of the house, are you not? So, the blade is yours."

"Indeed, my son," Mecca smirked. "You have won the day… and with it, a prize nobody here except for perhaps your retainer thought you would. Well done." He then clapped for Sulaiman as the prince took Taryn, as did Qiana, offering a gentle smile. Lamia smiled up to her lord as well. The only other person besides Idris and Barack to applaud was Nail.

Zahar, meanwhile, looked on in contempt. "You may have won today, 'Prince' Sulaiman, but you will take no further steps towards the Poswali throne." He turned to address Nail, but the barbarian disappeared. He gritted his teeth, and then turned away.

Sulaiman, meanwhile, looked up when he heard a bird cry. He spotted a brown falcon flying in, a small brown pouch on its leg, and a necklace around its neck. The bird landed on a windowsill, and looked down at him. Sulaiman nodded at the bird, and turned from his father and retainers.

"Where's he going?" Barack asked, watching Sulaiman walking away. Lamia, spotting the falcon, pointed up to it.

"Ivory's returned," she answered. "Which means a message from a certain lady in a certain eastern kingdom."

"Oh, his pen pal from Cruibia," Qiana smiled. "I wonder how that will go?" Lamia then looked towards her lord's retreating figure, and gasped before taking out a staff.

"I forgot to heal him before he headed back up to his room!" she said. She then ran after him. "Lord Sulaiman! Wait!" Barack and Idris sighed.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So yeah, we have Sulaiman's introduction, and it's the closest thing I'm going to get to a medieval tournament. He's going to find himself being targeted by everyone who wants a piece of him A LOT.

Sulaiman may get beaten down both physically and verbally, but he'll get back up and give it back. He uses the sword you'd expect of a typical _Fire Emblem_ main protagonist... even though Tawni's the real hero of this story, he's the deuteragonist. However, he's more of a bow-user than a swordsman... even though you can use him as a melee unit. Alongside him is Idris, who is a knife-wielding rogue, and Sulaiman's combat instructor Barack, who is a Great Knight. For those of you who didn't read Tawni's first chapter, mounted cavalry in Orobia uses camels because it fits with the Arabian Nights theme.

Anyway, if you want you to see more Sulaiman, let me know in the votes. See you all later. Farewell, subjects!


	4. Janiya Chapter 1: The Cruibian Princess

A/N: So, you're curious about the tale of Janiya...

Janiya is the protagonist I find the hardest to write for entertainingly. That said, I think I balanced it by giving her early antagonist the most intimidating introduction, literally by having her show up in this chapter. Anyway, Janiya herself is pure martial lord (she'd rather solve things on the front lines than play good princess, and she's harder about letting the past die)... but she does have the ability to use combat magic.

We'll discuss that as we go along. Without further ado, let's get to it!

* * *

 _Summary: Approximately five years after the Widowing Massacre, Cruibia is preparing for total war against the Argelian Empire. Planning on joining the ranks of the soldiery, the younger of Cruibian princesses, Janiya Madani, is training with her father. However, fate has other plans for her and her older sister, Yasmin..._

* * *

 **Janiya's Tale, Chapter 1: "The Warrior Princess of Cruibia"**

The kingdom of Cruibia takes up the entirety of the southeastern part of Orobia. After the fall of the genie tribes' power, Cruibia was one of the first eastern countries of man to be formed. The royal family of House Madani has had the longest dynasty of any royal family in all of Orobia, as most can be tracked approximately 500 years in the past while Crubia's royal family can be tracked back 1,000 years. Under the Madani family, Crubia had mastered their defense against magical attacks. Cruibia's standing army specializes in quick, precise strikes rather than long campaigns.

The nation values honor, peace, and compassion for the longest of times. Even so, they couldn't ignore the tragedy of the Widowing Massacre nearly five years earlier, and declared war on Argelia for the death of Queen Minoo. But the nation's king, Darius Madani, knew quite well his nation wouldn't be able to strike against Argelia alone, but the north was not exactly trustworthy. He and his oldest daughter, the crown princess and future ruler of Cruibia, have formed a rather daring plan…

One that his youngest daughter, who took more after her father than he ever intended, did not know too much about.

* * *

 **Kingdom of Cruibia, Capital City of Bagedzi—Royal Arena**

 ** _CLANG! CLANG!_**

Two people were in the middle of the arena clashing a pair of practice swords. On one side, was an older, taller man in his mid fifties with slightly graying brown hair covered by a white turban with a blue crown holding it in place, wearing a gray buttoned shirt under a blue chestplate and brown pants. Standing on the other side of the blade clash was a young woman with orange hair in a ponytail that went down to her mid-back covering the silver circlet on her head, about 18 years old, light brown eyes that had a serious look on them, wearing a blue shirt under a brown leather vest, gray pants, and flat shoes.

"Not bad, Janiya," the old man grinned. "You're taking more after Minoo every day…."

"I think I'm taking more after you, Father!" the girl, Janiya, replied after she was pushed back. She then flipped backwards before swing her sword again, this time blocked by her father. "After all… Mother's swordsmanship was never this fierce, was it?"

She was answered by a sudden rise from her father's blade, smacking her sword airborne before he appeared behind her and hit her with the flat side of the sword, knocking her down on the floor. When she turned to get up, she found the tip of his sword at her neck. "There's more to my fighting style than fierce power. Your mother actually taught me that sometimes speed and precision were better than raw strength and rage. She actually wiped the floor with me the first time we fought because of that speed. I was thoroughly impressed, and her beauty was quite easy on the eyes."

"Father…." Janiya frowned, her cheeks pink. "If your plan was to win by making me twitch at the details of you and Mother's relationship, you're succeeding."

"Not my intention," her father said, backing up. "My point, dear, is that you need to need to do more than just swing at me if you truly wish to best me. Which reminds me: where are your tomes, young lady?"

"It's not fair to you that I use magic in a sparring session," Janiya said, standing up.

"You said that you wanted to be trained for war in case Argelia broke the north, did you not?" the man said. "Against my better judgment these past few years, I've done just that, Janiya. And in war, you need to use every asset you have available… including your magic." He looked towards the side, where a cyan-haired man in his early twenties wearing a blue vest over his white shirt, dark blue pants, a staff in his hand, and a red fez on his head was waiting. "Caspar, do you have any sparring tomes for Janiya?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the man, Caspar, nodded, holding up a book, and tossing it to Janiya. "I'll heal you, m'lady." He then flicked his staff, and Janiya sighed as her wounds healed up.

"Thanks, Caspar," she smiled. Turning to her dad, she said, "Are you sure you want me to have access to magic? Last chance?"

"Janiya," her father, Darius Madani, said, sinking into a fighting stance, "I know your strength in magic comes from your paternal grandmother. I never was able to master it, but I know you and your sister are strong in it. I don't know why you wanted me to train you in swordsmanship on top of it, but I did. So… show me what you can do!"

"Alright," Janiya replied, looking over her spellbook. "Here goes!"

A magic circle appeared at Janiya's feet, and small ball of lightning flew out of her hand. Darius flinched at the sparks, allowing Janiya to run at him, and try to strike at him. Darius surprised her with his quick recovery time, parrying her sword strikes before he punished one of her over-extended swings with by gripping her arm and flipping her to the ground. Janiya surprised him by rolling to the side and recovering, grabbing her tome and firing another spell. While he dodged it, Janiya pressed her attack into Darius, which he was surprised by her boldness with her increased speed. She then knocked his sword to the side, and tripped him, ending the sparring session by placing the tip of her sword to his chest.

"Well?" Janiya panted, moving her sword away from his chest. "How was that, father?"

"I'd say you're getting better, Janiya," a female voice chimed in. The two looked up to see another girl approaching. This girl was about 19 years old, with tan skin, a slim figure, bright brown eyes, curly brown hair, and a gentle face wearing a pink top that slightly bared her smooth midriff with a matching flowing skirt that reached her ankles and a pair of white sandals. She had on her head a somewhat similar circlet that Janiya did and around her neck a fragment of gold with a red gemstone in it. On her back was an elegant Mend staff. "You're quite skilled with a sword, sister."

"I agree, she's gotten better," Darius smiled, getting up. He then grabbed a surprised Janiya, making her drop her practice sword as he hugged her. He then scooped up the new girl, and hugged her as well, causing her to giggle. He then put the girls down.

"Father, were you holding back?" Janiya asked.

"So you noticed," Darius admitted. Janiya frowned.

"That means this wasn't a legitimate victory," she said.

"Janiya, me 'not holding back' would have involved a sword that can control the weather," Darius pointed out. "You know the story of my sword, Pillansufa, right?"

"'Over a thousand years ago before our kingdom began'," Janiya recited, "'our ancestors, a young couple, exiled from what would become our rude westernly neighbors, were traveling nomads who worshipped the Genie Dragon, fleeing from religious persecution. They encountered an old man, who was curious about their devotion to her, and gave them a tome, saying one day their people would need it. He led them to what would become Bagedzi, and helped them get started. Soon, what was a small home became a glorious castle, and a village was created afterwards. That village turned into a city, and the city became the capital that we stand in, today, that soon celebrated the founders and the birth of their founders' first child.

"'One day, however, the family was visited by a wicked genie who could control the skies. The genie was one who loathed the existence of the hybrid Rerci. She responded to the family worshipping the Djinn Dragon by kidnapping their newborn child, and planning to dry out Bagedzi in a massive drought. In order to avoid this fate, she demanded the founders hand over the tome given to them by that old man, and renounce Rerci.

"'Fearing for his child and his people, the father sought out the old man again, wanting to know why the tome was so important. The old man didn't answer save for saying, 'Under no circumstances can you let that djinn take that tome. She'll destroy it, and with it my only hope'. The father was furious about the old man's cryptic words and how he was willing to let countless innocents die so that tome could survive. But the old man wasn't completely heartless. He had somehow forged a blade that, when swung, could change the weather and bring about lightning. In return for this sword and his help, the old man struck a deal with the Father. He and his descendants would guard that book for as long as the house stood, not giving it up to anyone.

"With sword in hand and the old man at his side, the father marched onto the genie's territory and engaged her in battle. Together, the two defeated the genie with a fierce lightning blow, and rescued the infant as rain poured down on the land, ending the drought and feeding the people of Cruibia for generations to come. The father, now King of Cruibia, named the sword he used, 'Pillansufa'."

"Good," Darius said. "And that sword still sparks like it did back then." Looking at Janiya, he said, "If you ever one day used that sword, Janiya, you can't hold back with it, even for a second… the sword will sense your weakness."

"Right," Janiya said. "For now, though, I still have Hova, our family's tome." Janiya pulled out a white and blue tome, and flicked her wrist upwards while surrounded by a familiar magic circle. A small tornado erupted from her hand, heading up into the sky. She then closed her hand, and the spell dispersed.

"That means you're pretty much ready." He then turned to the older girl, and asked, "And what about you, Yasmin? What brings you here, this early?"

"Apart from bringing my staff," the girl replied, "I wished to give you a definitive answer, Father." She turned to Caspar, who walked over with his Heal staff. The two healers waved their staves, and the two sword-wielding royals felt their welts disappear. "Thank you, Caspar."

"Of course, Lady Yasmin," Caspar nodded with a bow.

Darius let the healing magic finish washing over him, and he blinked. Janiya, meanwhile, looked between her father and sister. "I didn't think you'd be this quick on this, Yasmin."

"This is the fate of not just Cruibia we're talking about, Father," Yasmin replied, "but quite possibly all of Orobia. A firm decision must be made quickly. As Crown Princess, our people will look to me for our future, so I need to set a clear example of what our future will entail."

"That's a strong resolve," Darius observed. "It is true, though, that a decision must be made. So… what is your answer to the question I asked?"

Yasmin inhaled, and exhaled, her cheeks pink. She looked her father in the eyes, and made her answer clear. "Yes. Not just because it helps Cruibia, but… I want this to happen. With your blessing, of course, Father."

"What?" Janiya asked, looking at her sister. The two looked at her, and she rephrased, "What are you talking about?"

"...Father, you didn't discuss with Janiya what's happening, did you?" Yasmin asked, her blush deepening. The king shook his head. Yasmin awkwardly twirled her hair before turning to her sister. "Alright, well, Janiya? I know this should have been told to you earlier, but we're thinking of making a political alliance with a certain nation to the west."

"Poswa!?" Janiya questioned. "You mean the nation full of savage nobles and backstabbers we had repeatedly in the past been at war with? Father, didn't you in your youth fight the man who is now the Poswali Sultan? Why on the gods' earth would you consider an alliance with them!?"

"Because Mother was best friends with his late wife," Yasmin interjected. "Sultan Mecca remembers that, and he did fall in love with a Cruibian woman who made him a reasonable sort. And while some Poswali nobles are still snakes, there are some charming nobles there… a turtle, really, who shells up with a sturdy exterior, but is very sensitive inside."

"Well, I wouldn't know, because I've never been there," Janiya reminded her.

"Right," Yasmin frowned. "You were ill when Mother, Father, and I visited Sultana Farah's family."

Darius added, "I know you've never been fond of Poswa, my daughter, but they're not our greatest enemies, anymore. In fact, their soldiers are easily among the best in Orobia, and we could use their help with our combined army to push back Argelia's invasion. Hence, this treaty of a full-on military alliance, and one that truly assures Poswa and Cruibia have a lasting peace."

"…No," Janiya breathed. "I am NOT doing this! Father, Yasmin, no!"

Yasmin started, "Janiya—"

"I am NOT marrying some old Poswali noble I never met, just to get a lasting army!" Janiya protested.

"Well, we both knew that," Darius sighed. "I figured you would never agree to an arranged marriage, especially not to a Poswali man."

"Then who—?" Janiya started. She then looked at her blushing sister, and realized the answer to her unasked question. "Yasmin…? You're the one who's marrying a Poswali noble!?"

"Yes," Yasmin replied. "This was partially arranged back before Mother passed away, but Father and I have been talking about it more, now that both myself and my betrothed are of age. Speaking of my betrothed, he and I have been sending letters for years, now, and you might like him. You didn't think we were discussing YOUR future behind your back, did you?"

"Well, not necessarily," Janiya said, "it wouldn't surprise me if you actually were, but… Yasmin, you're the Crown Princess of Cruibia! You can't just give that up and expect me to rule after Father while you live in Poswa, with potential enemies all around you! You're one-hundred percent human, not a half-djinn, or half-dragon like Mother's old friends!"

"Yes, I'm the Crown Princess," Yasmin said. "And I still will be Crown Princess of Cruibia after I marry him and return from our honeymoon. My new husband will be my Prince Consort, and he will be assisting us in Cruibia. But while I am gone on my aforementioned honeymoon, you will be tending to my duties as next-in-line."

"So, what's the name of my future brother-in-law?" Janiya questioned. Yasmin answered her by whistling. A brown falcon landed on Yasmin's shoulder, and she affectionately rubbed his beak. The falcon, Janiya noticed, had a pendant around his neck, which Yasmin took off. She opened it for her sister, exposing the pictures inside. In it was a picture of Yasmin on one side, but the other was a picture of a young man about nineteen with straight black hair, brown skin, blue eyes, slight stubble on his face, almost as tall as Darius, wearing a red vest over his brown shirt, black pants, and boots, with a bow in his right hand, arrow in his left, and a scimitar at his hip. "He looks familiar…."

"His name is Sulaiman Nejem," Yasmin added, handing the pendant to her sister while she tended to her falcon.

"Nejem… the Poswali royal family?" Janiya asked. "You're marrying the prince?"

"The younger of the princes, yes," Darius interjected. "He's surprisingly well-behaved… for the reputation that younger siblings in positions in the west have as slippery snakes that only wish destruction. He's actually a turtle… slowly making a name for himself, but enduring doubt all the way. He saved your sister's life, once."

"What?" Janiya questioned. "When was this?"

"Well, we were young," Yasmin explained. "Again, you weren't there because you were sick, but he and I first met after he had apparently provoked the wrong noble boys… said boys had tried to woo me, but I could tell they were crude. I found him trying to patch his wounds up, and then healed him. Sometime after that, a group of dangerous brigands broke into the palace and tried to kidnap me, hoping to ransom me. Sulaiman surprised them, grabbed me, and then we hid in the secrets passages of the castle. We managed to evade those thieves long enough for the Poswali guards to catch them." She sighed with a blush. "He was a hero, that day… and that's not mentioning that when Mother and Sultana Farah passed away, he comforted me."

"I THOUGHT he was familiar!" the younger princess realized. "He… he's that boy from the funeral nearly five years ago, wasn't he?" The two said. "You were crying so long and hard during the funeral… it makes sense, you WERE close to Mother. Then a Poswali boy came to your side. He looked just as heartbroken, just as in pain as you, if not more. But instead of crying alongside you, mocking you, or telling you that he lost just as much as you did… he hugged you, and let you weep into his shirt for nearly an hour, and held you as you slept afterwards, returning you to Father."

"Yes," Darius nodded. "A lot of other boys in that position wouldn't have done what he did. After that moment, witnessed by so many, people talked about the two of it. It was hard to ignore that two royals of countries that used to be such bitter enemies bonding over a common tragedy made quite a scene. I conferred with Mecca, and we made an agreement. In the memory of our respective beloveds' enduring friendship, Mecca's younger son would wed my eldest daughter, and an alliance between our nations would be formed to fight the Argelian Empire's invasion and ensure a lasting peace afterwards."

"And make Empress Chitra pay for what she took from us," Janiya added.

"Vengeance isn't the Cruibian way, sister," Yasmin chided. "Mother only fought Father to remind him of that all those years ago. She wouldn't like it to see you murdering in her name." She then added while Janiya frowned, "Besides, something about the Widowing Massacre seems… off. Also, nobody has seen or heard the Argelian Empress for a while, now. You think she'd oversee this war."

"Not even you with Mother's necklace?" Janiya asked. Yasmin frowned again. Janiya stepped back, and quickly said, "Hey, I didn't mean to drag that up, sister!"

"Yes you did," Yasmin replied. Janiya flinched. "...I've gotten some of the powers down, now, like detecting when someone lies. I don't have the full visions of what really happened that night, but with time… maybe I can identify who caused the peace of Orobia to be disturbed so the war can end." Turning to her father, she asked, "Father, do you know how Mother used the necklace?"

"...That's an interesting story," the king said. "You know, now that I think about it, Minoo, Sultana Farah, Lady Adre of the Manakete Tribe, your Aunt Etti, and the late Queen Kalia of Ustros were all good friends in their youth before Farah and Minoo made Mecca and I stand down during the last Poswali-Cruibian War. Minoo never told me where she got her necklace nor how its powers activated… but you seem to have her ability to read people."

"Hmm," Yasmin frowned.

"Alright, enough depressing talk," Darius said. "I should hurry back to the palace and prepare to hold court before Lady Lilah and General Dastan lose their heads. Yasmin, we'll announce your upcoming wedding, soon." Turning to Janiya, he said, "Janiya… as your sister discussed, you will be filling in for her until the end of her honeymoon once the wedding occurs. That said, you are now going to shadow your sister."

"Father," Janiya frowned, "you know how much I hate this… well, political pegasus manure. Can't I focus on either training or my studies?"

"True, politics are more often than not complete pegasus manure," Darius said. "But pegasus manure is sometimes necessary for our garden of Cruibia to thrive. That said, your studies will simply ADD courtly duties to them. And don't worry about your training. We'll still set time aside." Janiya frowned.

"Don't worry, Janiya," Yasmin assured her. "We're start small, I promise."

"Alright," Janiya sighed. "We'll get started, soon. But after you're done with your honeymoon, Yasmin, I WILL be getting back to Cruibia's real issue: the war with Argelia. It's not like there's any other prominent threat upon us."

* * *

 **Poswali-Cruibian Border, Valley of Fangs—Dragon-Genie Ruins**

The Valley of Fangs, a rather large depression into the drylands of central Orobia surrounded by a pair of fang-shaped mountains, was the sight of many famous, climactic battles in Orobia's history. One of the earliest battles was the Battle of Fire, where the last dragon king and genie king fought, ultimately destroying each other and creating the Dragon-Genie Ruins that were once the supposed home of the Genie Dragon, Rerci. Another, more recent battle was the Battle of the Princes, where Mecca and Darius met on the battlefield for the final time… and where they were talked out of it by the women who would become their queens.

But right now, where there were once many bodies at the bottom of the valley, a group of four teens were exploring. But these weren't human children. No, their ears were far too long, pointed, and somewhat curled. There was also the fact that the children's eyes had reptilian pupils of various colors, and even the oldest male child, who was doing the most of the digging, had leathery wings. They were manakete teenagers.

"Are you sure there's something here worth something?" a female manakete asked. "Aunt Adre said to NEVER come to the Valley of Fangs."

"Do you do EVERYTHING Miss Adre tells you, Megtra?" the other female manakete asked. She turned to one of the male manaketes and voiced, "I told you she was a chicken."

"Not fair, Hullas!" Megtra pouted. "It's just that… of ALL places Aunt Adre could have told me to not go to, it was here. She fought in the last war back with the late Cruibian queen, so she had to have HAD a reason not to come back here."

"And not find a few relics from the last war?" the male not digging asked. "Do you have ANY idea how much some of the things left behind would be worth?"

"Well, your cut will be worth a lot less if you don't lend a hand, Olgiz," the other male grunted. "I can smell the treasure here!"

"Can one really smell treasure, Heluc?" Hullas asked, grabbing her own shovel and digging. "Or are you just trying to show off for Megtra?"

"Everyone, seriously," Megtra once again protested, even though the rest of them kept digging, "I KNOW my aunt. She was good friends with Queen Minoo. She fought and bled at this place in battle. Nothing scares her, normally… but this place TERRIFIES her enough to, as Matriarch, tell us not come here. We already have enough junk from around here to sell to feed our village for months. We should all go home with what we have and sell it."

"And pass up Rerci knows how much gold?" Hullas asked. "Megtra, we're dragons! We can never have too much treasure!"

 ** _THUNK!_**

"Well, well," Olgiz grinned. "It seems Megtra was about to call it too soon." He and Heluc then pulled out a locked metal chest, and yanked it up to place it on the ground, and turned to Megtra. "Come on, Megtra! You're the best at picking locks! Crack this open!"

"…If I do this, can we please go home?" Megtra asked.

"I promise," Heluc said. Megtra leaned in, and started her work. As she worked, Heluc admired her, particularly her light green hair in a bun, and her curvy figure for a scavenger beneath the brown coat she wore to avoid getting dirty. "So, Meg… what do you plan to do with your share?"

"Well," Megtra answered, working on the lock so she could leave, "I was thinking help out Aunt Adre out with caring for my little cousins. Between the last war and that plague, the house is a tad overcrowded… didn't help that our grandparents were a bit overeager. Seriously, who has eight hatchlings? No wonder Aunt Adre briefly left to work with Minoo."

"Ever thought about hatchlings of your own?" Heluc asked.

"One day, maybe," Megtra replied. "But I'd rather have a full roof over my head, first. Until I'm sure Aunt Adre and the others are okay, I can't move out, yet."

 ** _CLICK!_**

"Done!" Megtra beamed. "Now, let's go!"

"Hold it, Megtra!" Hullas said, stepping in front of the rather timid girl. "Aren't you gonna open up our payday?"

"The exact deal was that if I undid the lock, we'd go home," Megtra answered, hands on her hips. "I upheld my end of the bargain, now let's grab our dragonstones, and fly back home with our haul." She then pushed past Hullas, and pulled out a green stone… only to have her cape grabbed by Olgiz.

"You're not even the slightest bit curious as to what the treasure is?" he questioned.

"I told you before, I have a bad feeling," she replied. "If I had my way, I'd bury that thing now. Something about it seems… off."

"It's a box!" Hullas snapped. "How could it possibly give you a bad feeling about it!?"

"Yes, it's a box," Megtra answered, pulling her cape back. "A locked box that was buried several feet underground in the middle of an infamous no man's land that my warrior aunt specifically said to never go to. Does that not scream, 'Let's not find out what's inside'? We've already done enough damage by digging it up and unlocking it! Now, let's get the heck back home!" She pressed her hand into the dragonstone, and her body was surrounded by a vast collection of stones. The stones then exploded, revealing she had morphed into a giant green dragoness, grabbed a crate full of salvage, and took flight back towards the west.

"You know," Hullas called, "you're incredibly lucky you're pretty, Megtra! I don't honestly know what else could Heluc see in you!" She then turned to the box, and kicked it open. The three remaining teens looked inside.

 ** _BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

When Megtra was in mid-flight at the top of the western mountain, she felt the massive shockwave of power minutes after the chest was open. She looked back at the ruins, and saw a bright white light coming from where her friends were. Worried that the chest was booby-trapped, she turned around, and flew back down there… only to pale when she got there, and drop her salvage.

Blood was pouring out of where Heluc's right eye used to be, his body was adorned with cuts, and he was against a pillar, held at swordpoint by a strange, young-looking woman with small pointed ears that curved upwards with unattached earlobes decorated with gold earrings, glowing teal eyes filled with malice, thick white hair in a back-long ponytail, a black tube top, purple harem pants, and red shoes over her hourglass figure. In the woman's gloved right hand was a wyrmslayer, and in her left hand was a large white dragonstone.

While the woman looked deadly, Megtra was more concerned with the state of her friends. Besides Heluc's obvious wounds, Megtra had to stare at the now one-armed Olgiz, who was barely conscious and holding his stump. However, Hullas was just straight-up dead, collapsed with her rump pointed skywards, and blood puddling around her chest on the ground.

"You dragon scum are breeding like flies," the new woman spat, looking at Megtra as she returned to her manakete state. "I still don't understand how my kind have yet not gained the common sense these past few millennia to wipe you out."

"W-W-Who are you!?" Megtra asked, looking at the woman and realizing just what she was: an ancient djinn. The woman vanished in a puff of smoke… before appearing behind Megtra.

"I am Sizah," the woman answered, holding her sword to Megtra's throat and pocketing her dragonstone. "I am the genie who is the scourge of dragons, and all who foolishly worship them."

"...Please don't kill me or my friends," Megtra begged.

"A little too late for that wish, filthy lizard bitch," Sizah grinned in her ear, making Megtra gasp. Heluc's remaining eye shrunk. "I already killed one of you… and soon, you, your vile 'friends', and the whole dragon race will follow. And then, after I take my revenge on that foolish relic hunter Minoo, the race-traitor Farah, their lizard friend Adre, and their two friends, I'll gut the half-blood who DARES think of herself as a goddess."

"...You were in the box," Megtra realized. "You were what Aunt Adre feared! I was right about this place!" Sizah blinked at the response. She then lowered her sword, allowing Megtra to collapse onto her knees and regain her breath, scared out of her poor wits.

"...You're the niece of that dragon?" Sizah asked. "Perhaps you still have some use." She was interrupted by Olgiz trying to charge her. Sizah, rather than teleport, easily stepped to the side of his charge with her hand on Megtra, and slashed Olgiz down, making Megtra scream in fear. "Please don't be as stupid as your late friend here, and screw this up."

"W-W-What do you want!?" Megtra asked, turning around and standing up.

"For your boyfriend there to deliver a message while you are bait," Sizah answered. She then grabbed Megtra by her face, and the female manakete's eyes shined the same color as Sizah's, while Heluc gasped in horror.

"Leave Meg alone!" he called. "Kill me if you must have more blood, but spare her! She's only here because my friends and I asked her to come! All she did was unlock the case that your stone was trapped in! Don't hurt her!"

"I won't," Sizah replied, releasing her grip on Megtra, who collapsed on her knees and her eyes, despite glowing blue, somehow glazing over. "Much more than I've done already. At least, as long as you do what I ask. You go find Adre, and let her know: I have her niece. I'm coming for her. And even though I'm weak, this time, no old dragonstone is going to force me to undo her fate. And when I'm done with her, Cruibia will burn until I get that book... and the rest of Orobia will follow until Rerci's name is wiped from history." She and Megtra then disappeared in a white cloud of smoke, leaving Heluc to his misery.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: That awkward moment when you read your own writing and find out you forgot to put author notes. My mistake, fixing now for Janiya. Janiya, as you can tell, is somewhat similar to _Awakening's_ player character Robin in terms of gameplay. She can hit with both swords and magic pretty well, but she herself has low skill, so that means you'll have a bit of difficulty landing critical hits with her. I would suggest mixing and matching her between magic and melee.

Sadly, Janiya is the only playable character in this chapter, but you get to meet her family (her father Darius and her big sister, Yasmin)... as well as meet Janiya's starter villain, Sizah. Sizah wants revenge for something that happened in Minoo's past, but that's all you're getting right now.

Well, that should be everything. If you want to see Janiya's tale continue, be sure to go in my profile page and vote for her, alright? Farewell, subjects!


	5. Howe Chapter 1: The Giussean Privateer

A/N: So, you're interested in the tale of Howe...

Yes, I'm referring to him by his surname rather than his first name like the other three protagonists, simply because Howe sounds far more short, sweet, and to the point. In terms of archetypes, Howe is a martial lord, willing to get into a scrap, with Ogma (he's essentially a sellsword by the end of this chapter) and a certain bird in the Tellius games.

Speaking of the chapter, we should get started with it. So, without further ado, Howe's tale begins.

* * *

 _Summary:_ _Approximately two years after the Widowing Massacre, the war in northeastern Orobia's nation of Ustros is about to heat up. Not that it concerns Sirius Howe's captain except for his profits. But while arguing with his captain, Howe and the crew of their ship, the_ Dove, _find themselves under siege by pirates who sail under the banner of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild..._

* * *

 **Howe's Tale, Chapter 1: "The Privateer from Giuss"**

Off the southeast coast of Orobia, there was an island nation called "Giuss". Originally, the island served as little more than a prison colony for Ustros, using their undesirables for labor. The Ustrosi didn't expect the prisoners to actually start having children, however. After the Cruibian-Ustrosi War 200 years ago, Giuss was freed from Ustrosi control, and Giuss became its own democracy, not a part of Orobia, else they would have sent a representative to the peace talk that would later be known as the Widowing Massacre.

Although there are farmers and miners, the island's true livelihood has been its inhabitants' relationship with the sea. Many professions, from sailors to fishermen, traveling merchants to soldiers of other nations to even pirates have traveled to and from its ports, setting sale and trading with the powers of the central world. The story of one such man begins here, serving as a sailor aboard a merchant vessel, who was traveling towards Ustros when adventure found him and the crew he served with….

* * *

 ** _The Dove_ —Sea Near Ustros**

"Land ho!" a female voice called out.

The brown cog ship sailed through the sea, its crew busy at work. The captain, a slicked-back blonde man wearing a black hat, white and green clothes looked to the horizon, spotting the port town of Nourdari, disgust in his eyes.

"The only good thing about these Ustrosi is their gold," he muttered. He looked towards his helmsman, a white-haired man with tanned skin about 21 with brown eyes, wearing a blue coat over a plain white shirt, blue trousers, brown boots, and a red bandana around his arm. The helmsman, unlike most of the crew, did not seem to enjoy the sight of dry land. "Is something the matter, Mr. Howe?" the captain asked, walking up to the helm.

"...Everytime we come here is the matter," the white-haired man answered. The captain frowned. "Don't tell me you can sleep soundly at anytime we're here these past 2 years, Captain Dilazak, knowing had we turned around, we could have—"

"Gotten our entire ship killed?" Dilazak questioned, raising his voice so the crew could hear. "Or worse, been even further behind schedule with our goods than we already WERE thanks to your bleeding heart having to help so many other people, cutting further into our profits!?" Howe blinked at the response.

"We would have been careful," Howe replied.

"No, you wouldn't have," Dilazak retorted. "The Empire would have placed a price on all of our heads for even ATTEMPTING to interfere with their plans! If we had actually succeeded, they'd make our deaths even MORE gruesome! Have you ever thought about that these past two years, or has your paycheck not been cut ENOUGH for you to learn your damn lesson and not be the hero!? It makes you more trouble than you're worth paying for!"

Rather than flinch or yield, Howe shot back, "So, you finally admit it! The fates of five queens and gods know how many other innocent people and soldiers? An entire bloody war between two continents? Millions of lives ruined? Nothing compared to coin in your purse and your cup full of drink!"

"As well as the safety of this crew, whether or not you're grateful for it!" Dilazak retorted. "Besides, the Orobian queens were NOT my queens, so why should I give a damn about five women getting their throats slashed?"

"Don't you think you could have benefitted from at least TRYING to help them!?" Howe argued. "If you care about gold that much, it would have benefitted you to save them, and see that you're well-rewarded! Then you could probably retire early like you so desperately wanted, and give this lovely ship to someone who knows how to treat her right! You know, on TOP of having done the morally right thing instead of being a coward!"

"Oh, poor Sirius Howe!" Dilazak mocked. "Can't sleep peacefully at night nor enjoy the gold he gets from his share of what we sell in Nourdari thanks to feeling bad for five women who fell into an obvious trap, trusting an Empress whose people had recently attacked a port town unprovoked! Don't you know anything about Orobian kings and their harems!? Or has Anna been that good of a nightcap for you that you can't think of having more than one woman at a time!"

"Hey!" a red-haired, brown-eyed woman frowned, stepping forward. The woman wore her hair in a shoulder-length ponytail. Her clothes were a red cape with blue on the inside, a white collared shirt that somewhat showed off her ample cleavage and cut off just above her naval and exposing a teddy bear belt buckle made of gold, a pair of black pants, and brown boots. "It wasn't me who slept with him for his own good! It was my twin sister! The other Anna!" The two men blinked at the blatant confession.

"Wait, that wasn't you?" Howe curiously asked. "And there's another Anna?"

"Several of us, actually," Anna said. "Don't take it the wrong way, Howe. You're a nice guy, with or without money. However, you see, my sister really, REALLY likes you, you were having night terrors, and I figured she could console you, so we swapped places for the day, and well… she had no complaints, if you want a consolation prize." Howe just blinked.

"Well, thank you very much for highlighting my point, Anna," Dilazak said. "People are easily replaced! The Orobian queens, especially so! And you too, Howe! One word from me, and I can have your ass off this ship at the next port! One conversation from me, and I have you arrested by the next naval officer we run into! A second, and I can see you hang for some random crime I can pin on you in a week! A third, and your replacement will be here not even before they're finished tying the rope! That's how little you matter in the grand scheme of things, especially to someone as prestigious as I! Now, unless you want at least the first, you will quit your attempts to guilt trip me, be grateful you even HAVE a job, and prepare to dock at Nourdari, and don't let me ever catch you feeling bad about not dying for a supposedly righteous cause ever again! We'll talk about your next pay cut, later, for embarrassing me like this!" He then turned from Howe to storm off towards the bow of the ship.

"Ooh, sorry about that, Howe," Anna said, looking at her friend NOT-with-benefits.

"Which part?" Howe asked. "You lying about that night of pity? Or you unintentionally helping the Captain make me look like a fool?"

"Honestly, if we all could find another captain," Anna said, "we'd all be out of here. Just don't let Dilazak catch you saying that, of course. Still… Anna liked that night. I should introduce you to her next time she comes around."

"Are you sure you're not lying about having an identical sister named Anna?" Howe questioned.

"There are plenty of us," Anna said. "All just as lovely as yours truly, and all just as obsessed with money!"

"Because of course you are," a male voice said. The two looked to see a brown-haired man walking up, wearing a hooded green and blue cloak over his brown hair, a scarf at his mouth, a pair of thick bracelets, dark green pants, and black boots.

"Really, Keyon?" Anna questioned.

Keyon ignored her to say to Howe, "Honestly, Howe, Captain's right to be pissed at you, and not just about money or your attempts to guilt trip him about his apathy to the Orobian queens. It's your mouth that sometimes makes me and several other members of the crew want to so badly throw you overboard and take bets on whether the sharks actually got to you before or after you drowned, but can't because you're the only helmsman aboard this ship."

"What?" Howe asked.

Keyon explained, "Your smart enough to know how to navigate, sail, and you know military tactics because your dead grandfather used to serve the Ustrosi crown before leaving to take care of you after your parents bought it. However, you're NOT smart enough to keep your mouth shut, your opinions to yourself, and avoid your impulses that endanger everyone else around you unless the Captain threatens to boot you off like you deserve and hire a NEW helmsman who actually COULD shut-up! Not to mention that you've made it no secret that you want to buy a ship of your own. Honestly, the only reason he doesn't is that he thinks he can squeeze several more years of labor out of you."

"And it's working," Howe admitted.

"You see, Howe?" Keyon replied. "You need HIM to pay you, and he finds you a cheap source of labor that he only has to tolerate your irritating mouth. At the rate your getting your pay cut, however, I'd say you'll NEVER become a captain of your own ship serving under Captain Dilazak."

 ** _BOOM! BOOM!_**

The ship shook as the waters erupted nearby the ship. The three looked starboard side, and spotted a ship with a skull and crossbones on its black flag approaching them. It was a pirate flag, but it had a slight difference: the skull was not that of a human, but a crow.

"Isn't that…?" Howe breathed, looking at the ship. He was interrupted by a young woman with orange hair running up to them, out of breath. Her hair had a blue bandana, and she was wearing a white and pink striped shirt under her brown vest, and a white frilled skirt over her long black leggings, a sword at her side. She was out of breath, her green eyes staring wildly at Howe.

"P… Pirates!" she breathed. "Howe, you've got to get us away from them and to port!"

"Not just any pirates, Piper!" Howe said, taking the helm and steering towards Nourdari. "Those guys are the Black Crow Pirates! Their leader is an Ustrosi Crow named Ucu, and he's a huge captain in the Ustrosi Thieves Guild!"

 ** _BOOM! BOOM!_**

The ship shook again, this time with hits to the side, and some of the crew fell overboard. "Damn it!" Howe growled, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

Dilazak stormed back up to the trio, and called to Howe, "Howe, stop, and stay still! If we try to run, we're all dead! Those pirates will sink us! We're better off giving our gold, and they'll let us live!"

"...Fine, we'll stop running," Howe said, turning the helm to spin the ship around.

"What are you doing?" Keyon questioned. "This is the opposite of staying still, Howe!"

"Of course it is," Howe said. "We're going to ram them, and then we're going to fight them up close." He then looked back at a set of boards behind him, and pulled up on them, revealing an old iron axe.

"Are you out of your mind!?" Dilazak questioned. "You're going to get us all killed for fighting back! Or worse, destroy our cargo!"

"Do you know who that flag is, Captain!?" Howe questioned. "Well, if you actually paid attention to Orobia apart from what they pay you for the wares we bring, then you'd know that is the flag of Zrisse, an infamous Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirate! He finds it easier to just kill everyone aboard the ship and take our money and anything of value off our corpses, partially because we've outlived our usefulness to him, and partially to send a message that he rules these waters! I happen to have been in my fair share of scrapes back on Giuss to know how to fight, and I know Piper, Anna, and Keyon can at least throw down! And we have some other tricks! Trust me on this, we're better off fighting!"

"...You know, he's right," Keyon sighed. "I've heard tales of Zrisse, Captain. He'll kill all of the men and take all of the women, more than likely to sell them as slaves to the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, just for the hell of it. This way, we'll at least thin the numbers out. And if we win, there's a bounty we can claim."

"I like this option because my family's plagued by bandits, and because I like the bounty," Anna said. "Sorry Captain, siding with Howe."

"I'm with Howe, Captain," Piper said. "For too long, ruthless pirates like him have invaded the waters! We can stop them! Maybe be even good pirates!"

"Looks like we have a good vote for my plan," Howe smirked.

"Howe…!" Dilazak growled.

 ** _SHING!_**

Howe felt a sword pressed to the back of his neck. The young helmsman looked to see Dilazak had drawn his sword. "Hands. Off. The helm."

"Captain?" Howe asked.

"Consider yourself relieved of duty," Dilazak replied. "I'm not putting the lives of everyone aboard in the hands of an arrogant upstart who thinks he knows how to run my ship better than me! I know how pirates work! Anyone who tries to fight back against them is not long for this world! And suppose you do kill one or two of them. Hell, you manage to take out Zrisse himself? You may as well have signed our death warrants, because Mawdood will NOT let one of his lieutenants losing his head go unpunished! So, get your hands off that helm, let me take it, throw that axe of yours overboard, and just sit down in the mess hall, let them board, and—"

 ** _TWHACK!_**

Dilazak fell to the ground, much to the shock of the entire crew, looking at his attacker. Anna sighed, holding out her bow. "Thought he'd never shut-up," she said. "Howe? Your play!"

Right before this happened, on the other ship, a black-winged humanoid looked at the merchant ship through his spyglass. He folded it up before turning towards his crew of human criminals. "Time to impress our new bosses, boys. Anything shiny on that merchant ship ought to do it!"

"Captain!" one of the brigands aboard the ship yelled. The black-winged man turned to his man, who reported, "That ship is now turning towards us, looking like it's about to ram us!"

"That's crazy," the black-winged man, obviously Zrisse, replied. "No way would merchants actually try to fight us? They'd know we'd slaughter them all!"

"Captain, we were gonna slaughter them all ANYWAY," the brigand answered. "They're risking their treasure, boss."

"Okay, well, we'll make their deaths even more PAINFUL than what we originally had in mind," Zrisse suggested. "Starting with the person gutsy enough to actually try to ruin my—

 ** _CRRSSSSH!_**

Wood splintered as the _Dove_ crashed into the pirate's ship, the pirates save for Zrisse losing their balance. Aboard the _Dove,_ Dilazak was thrown into the captain's cabin by Keyon.

"Sorry about this, Captain," Keyon sighed at the death glare. "But Howe has way too good of a point, for once. You can kill Howe if we make it."

"It won't be just him," Dilazak groaned. Keyon closed the door, and turned to Howe.

"You better know what you're doing, Howe," Keyon warned. "Mutiny doesn't normally end well."

"Well, I'm sure he'll change his mind after I save his life," Howe said. "But now, we need to fight for ours! Listen to my orders!" He spotted the pirates throwing planks over to board the ship. "Here goes! Intercept those pirates! They're axe-users right? So Keyon, make use of that whip of yours!"

"Alright," Keyon said, moving into place.

"Anna! We could use your bow-work to take out a few from afar! Heal if you can, but stick to the back!"

"Aye-aye!" Anna winked, firing an arrow that grazed a target. Howe's whip cracking against the pirate's skull was enough to send him overboard.

"Piper! Anyone those two don't take down, you cut down!"

"You got it, Howe!" Piper beamed, drawing her sword. She quickly crossed blades with an axe-wielding pirate, before slicing him down, and Howe finished one off with a quick axe strike before blocking another, which Anna finished off. "What are you doing?" Howe pointed to the one living crewman that was tossed overboard.

"Saving him," he answered.

"Um… how are you going to pull that off?" Anna asked. Howe then jumped off the ship… only to seem to be able to walk on water. "What…?"

"A technique I learned from watching pirates," Howe called up. "Some pirates and even Xuhuan ninjas have an ability to walk on the sea unhindered. I picked it up for situations like this." He then walked over to the drowning crewman, and grabbed him. "Easy… we'll get back on the _Dove."_ However, before he could, a large black bird flew towards him.

 **"** **So,"** the bird cawed, **"someone's trying to play 'hero' in MY seas, huh? I take it you're the smart-aleck who decided to ram a ship full of my prizes into my ship?"**

"So what if I am?" Howe asked, pulling out his axe. "I know how you work, Zrisse. You'd kill us even IF we agreed to your demands. So, why go down with a whimper when I can instead go down fighting, maybe make the seas a safer place without YOU in it?"

"Howe, don't provoke the giant talking bird!" the crewman complained.

 **"** **Too smart for your own good, you ever think that? Oh, I'm going to enjoy ripping your entrails out with my talons and making you watch yourself bleed out, whelp!"** Zrisse called.

Howe quickly ran towards the ship, and climbed up with gusto before Zrisse, using his birdstone, slammed into the deck of the _Dove._ Howe dropped the crewman, and prepared to fight the pirates' captain, who lunged at him. Zrisse was quick in his bird form, slicing at Howe. But the helmsmen was far more durable than he anticipated, even though Howe missed a few swings.

 **"** **Why… won't… you… die!?"** Zrisse panted.

"Simple, magic," Howe answered, feeling Anna's healing with her staff. "Literally."

 **"** **You… this… this was supposed to be my IN!"** Zrisse roared. **"Why are you making it so hard!? You all should be begging for your lives right now, handing over your shiny things in exchange for them! Which I wouldn't agree to! You're just a bunch of merchants!"**

"Yes," Howe replied. "Technically, I am just a merchant. A merchant who knows his way around an axe." Howe then lunged once more, this time hitting Zrisse with a clean slash.

 **"** **Argh… that style!"** Zrisse yelled, attempting to counter, only to be blocked. **"Is that really Admiral Howe's axe style, and his tactical mind!?"**

"Well, he WAS my grandfather," Howe replied. "So yeah, surprise! Anna!"

"Got it!" Anna grinned, aiming her bow at Zrisse, and pulling back. The crow shifter realized too late that Howe had set him up. The arrow struck true, sending the bird plummeting into the sea with an arrow in his chest. Zrisse was no more. "We did it!" Anna grinned. "You get a discount next time you shop at my stand!"

"We're not done, yet," Howe said, looking at the pirate ship. "I want to send a message to pirates everywhere."

"And this is the part that loops right back into the crazy of your schemes," Keyon frowned. "Howe, what are you up to?"

"See those barrels of gunpowder aboard their ship?" he said. "You and Anna ignite them with hits, and then we'll run like hell."

"Because of course we will," Keyon groaned.

"I'll cover you both, Keyon and Anna!" Piper volunteered. As if to prove her point, a couple mercenaries that served Zrisse, angry that their leader died before he could pay them, boarded the _Dove_. Piper then blocked one of the blades meant for Anna, and then slashed the mercenary, allowing Anna to feather him in the back and Howe to slice him down while he was weak, despite his weapon advantage. Keyon, the most experienced of them, simply whipped the sword out of the other mercenary's hand, and quickly pulled out a steel dagger, which was then promptly inserted into the mercenary's chest to kill him. The two more range capable fighters ran towards the edge of the ship while Howe took to the helm of the _Dove_ , pulling the ship away from the damage caused by the ram. Howe then watched as Keyon tossed two knives into the barrels, spilling gunpowder over the deck of the pirate ship. Anna, meanwhile, finished lighting her arrows, and launched them, landing in the gunpowder, igniting it.

 ** _KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

The pirate ship was kindling adrift, many pirates who survived struggling to stay afloat, and Howe smirked while the crew of the _Dove_ cheered for surviving the encounter.

"...Whoa," Keyon breathed as they sailed away from the destruction. "I can't believe we just did that… we're going to die horribly, now."

"That's what you have to say about achieving a huge victory?" Howe questioned.

"It's one thing to kill one of Mawdood's lieutenants, Howe!" Keyon snapped. "It's another to send hm and pirates that work for him a message like this! The captain's right! Mawdood WON'T forget this, and we can never enter Ustrosi waters ever again!"

"Hey, another ship off the port bow!" Piper called out. The two stopped their argument to see there was indeed another ship.

"Is that another batch of pirates?" Anna asked.

"...No, but I'm not thinking they're friendly," Keyon replied. This ship was far bigger than the pirate ship, completely dwarfing the _Dove._ It was an Argelian-made carrack, flying the pink lioness that was on the yellow shield of the red background of Argelia's flag.

"The Argelian navy?" Howe asked. "What in the gods' name are THEY doing here?"

SHING.

"More than likely going to make you tie your own noose," Dilazak growled behind Howe, holding his sword to Howe's neck once more. "I want anyone who decided killing Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirates was a good idea tied up and in the brig!" A few of the crewmen looked at each other, and then turned on the four.

"We just saved your lives!" Howe argued. "Is this how you repay us!?"

"They know the chain of command," Dilazak replied. "Unlike you!" Before Howe could do anything to stop his captain, he was then struck on the temple with the hilt of Dilazak's sword, and passed out.

* * *

 **The** ** _Eccentric_** **—The Next Day**

Howe groaned as he awoke, finding himself on a hard bed, and inside a barred room. However, this wasn't the _Dove's_ brig, but some other brig entirely. Of course, his axe was gone, and his coat and boots were removed… yet the coat was neatly hanged and his boots weren't too far from the bed. A set of footsteps made him sit up.

"Uyanık mıyız, efendim {Are we awake, sir}?" a female voice, one he didn't recognize, asked. He then got a look at the speaker. A green-eyed, blonde woman, her hair tied in two pigtails down to the middle of her back, dressed in a white shirt with a brown sash under a yellow jacket, brown pants, brown boots, and a red hat on top of her head. She had a rather curvy figure, and a sword resting at her hip.

"Ben de Argelian... subay olduğunuzu kabul ediyorum {I take it... you're an Argelian officer}," Howe said after a few moments. The woman giggled at his struggle with Argelian.

"Don't worry, I can speak Orobian," the woman said. Howe nodded. She pulled out a scroll. "So, Sirius Howe, I take it?"

"That's me," Howe nodded. "So, when's the execution?"

"Straight to the point, I see," the woman said. She then muttered, "(Fine, let's skip the formalities. Kind of a shame, really….)" She opened the scroll, cleared her throat, before saying, "According to this report your captain, you disobeyed his orders to surrender and let those pirates you fought and later sunk board, instigated a mutiny, and rammed your ship into the pirates ship, thereby endangering the lives of everyone aboard your merchant vessel… as well as your cargo. Then you killed said pirates, including their captain."

"They were going to kill us whether or NOT we fought back," Howe defended himself. "I wanted to save as many of our people as I could."

"Admirable, but it is STILL insubordination," the woman confessed. "That is, of course, on top of what he says several counts of obedience problems, questioning the orders of a superior, and being indirectly and sometimes directly responsible for the delay of Giussean products, costing your country money, because of your, and I quote, 'chronic heroism'."

"I've always been a bit of a rebel, I still think we could have helped, and I don't like ignoring people in trouble," Howe replied.

"Still think you could have helped with what?" the woman questioned.

Howe shrugged. "(Well, I'm going to die anyway, so screw it, cards on the table.)" He then said, "I think we could have saved the Orobian queens two years ago from the Widowing Massacre, but the Captain forced me to keep moving or he would have fired me. It was the only ship who'd take my sorry ass, so I had to obey."

"...What?" the woman asked.

"Probably the sole excuse an Argelian officer needs to see me hang, but yes. About two years ago, we were in the area when the Widowing Massacre happened. We were running later for a delivery, when we passed a ship. I sensed something off, and was about to turn around to check, when Captain Dilazak ordered me to ignore it and press onto Ustros. I tried to reason with him, but he said that he'd throw me off the ship if I disobeyed that order… literally. A few days later, we found out that the ship in question was the _Aquarius_ … your empire's royal flagship, I believe. And at least five bodies were identified. The queens of Orobia… and Princess Consort Najiyya, the lead diplomat of the incident. Your people killed them, and the war between Orobia and Argelia began." The woman blinked at the accusation. She looked like she wanted to retort, but Howe, irritated, continued, "I felt guilty that I left those women to die when one turn of the helm could have made so much difference. An entire war could have been avoided with one hundred and eighty degrees, but the captain doesn't give a damn, and even said they were better off dead! So kill me, and be done with it! I've lost my job, anyway, for saving his ungrateful life!"

"You didn't save my life, Howe!" Dilazak called in, stomping into the brig. "You RUINED it!" He brushed past the woman, and grabbed Howe through the bars and punched him in the face.

"Captain Dilazak!" the Argelian officer chastised.

"You arrogant… mutinous… costly… waste of skin!" Dilazak roared, punching Howe with each word. The final punch actually floored Howe, leaving him a bleeding mess. "I just found out how much it's going to cost to repair the _Dove!_ The entire supply we have to sell! That's on top of the fact that Mawdood will hear about you blowing up one of his lieutenants! He'll recognize the _Dove_ , and think I ordered that act of defiance! He's going to hunt me down!" Turning to the officer, he apologized, "I'm so sorry, Captain Aksoy. Howe brings out the worst in me. You don't have to execute him, anymore. I'll do it myself!" He drew his sword.

"There will be no need to kill Mr. Howe for upsetting this 'Mawdood'," the woman, Aksoy, replied. "After all, I think Mawdood would consider it a favor… after all, it's not common knowledge, yet, but Zrisse was on the outs with Mawdood, anyway. He was looking for new employment."

"Oh," Howe said, rubbing the blood off his nose. "Well, that's a relief off the crew's back—"

"As one of our privateers," Aksoy finished. Howe blinked, and Dilazak shot Howe a glare. "We were going to offer him full immunity from his previous… crimes, and Argelia's protection from Mawdood and any other Orobian enemies he might have had in exchange for information he might have had and assisting Argelia in winning this war."

"...Well, shit," Howe said. "I just keep on digging this grave I'm in, don't I?"

"You really do not need to talk, Howe!" Dilazak warned. "You didn't kill an Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirate on top of mutinying me! You killed an Argelian PRIVATEER! If she didn't have you speaking AGAINST the massacre on you, you're really dead, now!" He then turned to Aksoy, and said, "With your permission, Captain Aksoy, I'll take care of Howe for you…."

"Again, that won't be necessary," Aksoy frowned. "After all, if he really did mastermind Zrisse's demise AND the destruction of his ship, on top of being such a skilled helmsman that he could navigate at night… not to mention his last name." Turning to Howe, she asked, "You wouldn't happen to be related to the famous Giussean tactician, Admiral Novan Howe, would you?"

"That was my grandfather," Howe replied. "He taught me tactics, how to use an axe, how to sail… everything."

"...Someone like you is wasted on sailing merchant ships," Aksoy said. "But something tells me you're too rebellious to be a true Argelian soldier, yet you have some use besides eye candy."

"So I go from apparently sleeping with Anna's identical sister to being hit on by an Argelian naval captain," Howe said. "...I'm okay with this."

Aksoy ignored that to say, "Not to mention if the story from your crewmates are true, it was just four of you that took out an entire pirate's ship. That's actually commendable for a ragtag crew. And you did just open up a privateer position that the Empire needs filling in order to quickly end this war… at least in the northeast of Orobia. Something tells me you'd be the more moral option that Zrisse ever would have been."

"...No," Dilazak interjected. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Captain Dilazak, you disapprove?" Aksoy said. "I'm taking him and his fellow mutineers off your hands for free. I'll even pay for your damages out of my own wages if I have to. The Empire is quite rewarding with this kind of offer."

"I REFUSE any outcome that doesn't end with this treacherous dog dead!" Dilazak roared, pointing at Howe. "I know how Argelian privateer positions work. You pardon him of any crimes he's committed and will do in your Empire's name! He's insubordinate, disrespectful, sympathetic to the wenches your Empress killed, and he'll actively seek out trouble! He's only going to cause you a lot of headache!"

"No," Aksoy answered. "YOU'RE the one causing headache, Captain Dilazak." Before he could question why, she snapped her fingers, and two Argelian soldiers walked down, holding their lances to Dilazak. "Onu gemiden çıkarın, birileri bana şifacı getirin. Potansiyel yeni müttefiklerimizi temizlemeliyiz {Remove him from the ship, and someone bring me a healer. We need to clean up our potential new ally}."

"...What?" Dilazak asked, being grabbed. "H-Hey! Unhand me! I just said you were in the right to kill the Orobian Queens!" He was then dragged out of the brig. "I'll remember this…!"

Howe watched his former captain dragged off the ship. '(Something tells me that she didn't approve of what happened back then. Why else would she let me live?)' Howe noted.

"You're an interesting man, Sirius Howe," Aksoy said. "Brave, reckless, yet smart. And something tells me you'd be far easier to work with in the long run than Zrisse and his ruthlessness. So, as a representative of the Argelia Empire, I am here offer you a choice. You can refuse to join us, and be returned to Giuss known as a mutineer, and most likely hang for treason in about a week's time. Or you can join the Argelian navy as a privateer. You'll receive command of your own ship, better weapons, better pay, a mission, and a full pardon for any crimes… in limits. You'll also be protected from any enemies you have on Giuss… which something tells me there's going to be a lot of them. Perhaps, one day, you'll even get the honor of meeting the Argelian royal family. All you have to do is say 'yes'."

"...Well, Keyon was right," Howe said, standing up. "I'd never become the captain of my own ship serving Dilazak, would I?" He then said, "What's this mission of yours, Captain Aksoy?"

"Well, we're having some trouble with the war in the north," Aksoy said, smiling that she managed to get Howe. "For obvious reasons, it's difficult to find a secure landing zone for our ships. We could start there, if you're interested…."

"Well, I could tell you that," Howe said. He extended a hand to her. "We'll talk strategy, Captain Aksoy. Consider me your privateer… provided you can get me a ship."

"Glad to have you, Captain Sirius Howe," she smiled, taking his hand and shaking it. "Oh, and my name is 'Sema Aksoy'. You can call me 'Sema', Sirius." It was at this point an Argelian priest with green hair, wearing white and red robes, and a pair of glasses over his blue eyes walked in, holding a staff.

"Beni mi çağırttınız hanımefendi {You called for me, ma'am}?" the priest asked. "Ah, tanrılar tarafından ... ne oldu {Oh, by the gods… what happened}!?"

"Eski misafirimiz Kaptan Dilazak buraya girdi ve yeni özel teşkilatımız Pastor Adem'e saldırdı {Our former guest Captain Dilazak stormed in here and assaulted our new privateer, Pastor Adem}," Sema replied. "Biliyorsun sadece tanrıların sözünü duyurmak için yolculuk ediyorsun, ama şifa yeteneklerini kullanabiliriz {I know you're only traveling to spread the word of the gods, but we could use your healing talents}."

"Anlıyorum {I see}," the priest nodded. He then approached Howe, and cast a Mend spell. In Orobian, he said, "There… that should dull the pain for now. I'll give you a full examination later."

"Well, thanks for that, Pastor," Howe said. "Now… about this cage…."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: If it isn't obvious by now, Howe's campaign is that of Corrin's conquest campaign (in that you're playing for the empire with a character you're supposed to emotionally sympathize with). Essentially with Howe, I wanted to do a villain protagonist's story since, as far as Orobia is concerned, the Argelian Empire's soldiers are the **BAD GUYS.** How he changes from villain to anti-hero is going to be addressed in this campaign.

Speaking of him, Howe himself is another non-sword-using character, this time using axes... you know, like Hector. Or any other rare time you see the pirate class being playable in _Fire Emblem._ I'm sorry if you like recognizing your protagonist by his/her weapon, because Piper's the one sword-using mercenary on this boat. Keyon, meanwhile, can use bows, knives, or the newest Orobian weapon, the whip, all as a bounty hunter, a new class that, similar to how Niles and Orochi worked in _Fates_ (I'm sorry if you dislike _Fates_ and I keep bringing it up, it's going to happen a lot), allow you to capture units. Finally, Anna is your apocrathy, a small-time archer unit that this time around can heal similar to Adventurers.

If you want more Howe, be sure to vote for him, alright? I will see you all later. Farewell, subjects!


	6. Janiya Chapter 2: The Visit to Cubes

A/N: So a lot of people really like Janiya. Well, I'm actually surprised. Well, here goes for you: more Janiya adventures!

* * *

 _Summary: Weeks after Janiya discovered her older sister's engagement, the two are invited to spend time with their aunt, uncle, and cousins. However, the good times are interrupted by a vision and a group of bandits lead by a fanatic..._

* * *

 **Janiya's Tale, Chapter 2: "The Visit to Cubes"**

 **Kingdom of Cruibia, Town of Cubes—Duke's Residence**

A couple weeks had passed since Janiya had discovered her sister's engagement with the Poswali prince. Naturally, when the people of Cruibia had heard their crown princess was officially engaged, the nation was ecstatic. To plenty of people, it was the biggest piece of good news they heard in nearly five years. Including, to the princesses' delight, their Uncle Kamyar, who had invited them to come to Cubes.

Which is how Janiya found herself waiting in a carriage alongside Caspar, Yasmin, and two other people. The first was an older man wearing gold and white heavy armor, a thick brown mustache and thin hair, a pair of green eyes, and a heavy looking shield at his side. The second was a woman in her early thirties with light blue hair in a neat bun, bright brown eyes, and wearing black and blue light armor over her blue shoulderless riding dress, a pair of black tights under her skirt, and riding boots, with a lance at her side.

"I must once again congratulate you on your successful engagement, your Majesty," the woman smiled. "I'm sure you will have a blessed union with Queen Minoo's best friend's child."

"Thank you, Lady Lilah," Yasmin nodded, blushing at the implications. "I'm sure there will be at least a few blessings with that union." Her sister's shivering went unnoticed by the crown princess. "But right now, we should at least prepare for the wedding. What exactly do we have left to do before we go to Serirly in a few months to meet Prince Sulaiman?"

"Prince Sulaiman," the sole male in the carriage said. With a scoff, he commented, "Honestly, the nerve of that Poswali spare prince, seeking your hand, Princess."

"And what's wrong with Prince Sulaiman, General Dastan?" Yasmin questioned. The armored man, caught off guard by the sudden question, gapped. "Be honest with me… I can tell if you lie."

"Well… it's bad enough that he's a western born spare noble," Dastan confessed. "That alone is somewhat of an insult to you, Your Majesty, that Poswa didn't want to wed you to a true heir to a noble house to combine to the great House Madani. However, it's also the fact that he's from Poswa. You know our history with Poswali, Princess, and the danger of spare nobles."

"It's a pretty gray history," Yasmin replied. "Second, Sulaiman is nothing like his infamous Great Uncle Aseel. Furthermore, the last war was ended by Mother and her friends, especially Sultana Farah, who married Sultan Mecca. Their friendship lasted from this city we're going to until their dying breaths."

"Fighting side-by-side against a powerful and evil Empress," Janiya chimed in, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. After being informed of her sister's plan to solidify the peace treaty with Poswa by marrying Sulaiman, Yasmin started dragging her around constantly to court meetings and other activities to deal with the wedding. Sadly, the younger princess was not exactly eager to fill these roles, and her boredom with the politics made her sleep through most of the ride to Cubes.

"I warned the queen not to trust the foreign empress," Dastan spat. "You can't trust non-Orobians, I say."

"That's enough, both of you," Yasmin told them.

"I didn't even mention anything racist!" Janiya protested.

"I wasn't thinking that," Yasmin replied. "I was thinking about how you want to go to the castle in Arrahnaya, smash open the throne room, challenge Empress Chitra to single combat, and cut her down in the name of our mother." Janiya crossed her arms, and pouted.

"...Don't tell me you'd forgive her," she said. "And not just for Mother, either. Do you have any idea how many people in the north have died because of this blasted war that Empress Chitra started when she killed our mother and the rest of the Orobian queens? On top of that, nobody's heard from her directly for the past five years, not even anything akin to an explanation as to what happened that night! I think we're beyond the point that forgiveness is rational." Yasmin frowned.

"You may have a slight point," the older princess admitted. "But there must be more to it than the Empress just murdering the queens of Orobia for the sake of demoralizing us. Anyway, we really shouldn't be talking about this. Today, Uncle Kamyar and Aunt Etti wished to spend to spend time with us! You know what today is, right, Janiya?"

"...Mother's birthday," Janiya recalled. "Do you think she'd be proud of me becoming a soldier in Cruibia?"

"I couldn't say, m'lady," Lilah confessed. "Your mother was not fond of using violence to attain her goals, but she fought to protect those she cared about." The cart stopped. "Including her older brother."

"We're here, ladies," Caspar called from the front of the cart. A pink-haired girl about 16 poked her head to the side, her eyes bright green and shimmering with magic. She was wearing a purple and black dress with a low neckline that exposed the top of her breasts, a bright ruby gem on her forehead, her ears pointed with unattached earlobes that were adorned by golden rings, and a silver necklace on her neck.

"And you guys have company!" the girl beamed.

"Thank you, Caspar and Elahe," Yasmin beamed. "Miss Lilah?"

"Yes, m'lady," the woman said. She turned to the door of the cart, and opened it, revealing a man slightly older than the princesses' father, next to a woman older than Lilah but younger than Darius. The man had a long white cane in his hands, with grayed orange hair, brown eyes, and wearing blue and white robes of a Cruibian duke. The woman next to him, obviously his wife, was a head shorter than him with short black hair, green eyes behind a pair of blue rimmed glasses, and wearing white robes with a pair of detached sleeves and a long blue open overcoat.

"There you two are!" the woman smirked. She walked over to them and hugged the two princesses. "Janiya, Yasmin… have you two remembered your magic training?"

"Yes, Aunt Etti," Janiya nodded.

"She's quite skilled, Aunt Etti, with combat magic," Yasmin reported. "I myself am a healer."

"Of course, magic isn't everything, ladies," the older man said. "It's just one way of dealing with problems, and can just as easily backfire as anything else in battle."

"True, my strategist husband," Etti smirked. Turning to the princesses, she said, "Go on, give your uncle a hug. I'll call up your cousins." The Duchess walked off, leaving Yasmin and Janiya with their uncle. He hugged them both.

"How are my favorite nieces, today?" Kamyar asked.

"Unless Mother and you have a secret sibling we've never met, we're your only nieces, Uncle Kamyar," Janiya said after the hug broke.

"Still as blunt as ever," Kamyar observed. "Your father is a bad influence on your tongue."

"I don't exactly do 'polite lies' very well," Janiya replied. "Ever since I found out Yasmin is about to be married, I've been swamped with political nonsense… being trained as the 'temporary crown princess' for Yasmin's honeymoon. Meetings with various subjects about certain problems, knowing how the country is doing financially, holding court which I personally had never done before, and just the other day, I had to try to resolve a land dispute. Did you know that in Moubani's farmlands, the land is perfect for growing not just rice and wheat, but saffron?"

"Yes, actually," Kamyar nodded, pulling out a small plate with archaic symbols, and a green crystal inside of it. With a small channel of his magic, the crystal started glowing, and the plate showed an image of a set of farmlands. "Make no mistake, Bagedzi may be Cruibia's minds, but Moubani is definitely Cruibia's heart. The city of Moubani has some of the most fertile lands in central Cruibia. Naturally, it's a popular place, and some of our best crops actually grow there. With the north occupied with the war making northern sea trade difficult thanks to whoever is sailing that _Sabine_ ship these past nearly three years, most of Cruibia relies on it." He dismissed the image, placed the plate away, and asked, "So, what happened with the land dispute?"

Janiya explained, "Two groups of farmers were getting in an argument over it, and were days from taking up arms against each other, and each were about to hire foreign mercenaries to take the main fields for themselves if the mayor hadn't caught wind and informed me. If I had my way, I'd bash both leaders' heads with Hova and my sword until they got along or claimed the land for the crown and decide ourselves what will be grown there… but Yasmin preferred the diplomatic approach. They grumbled, but relented when she made them see how the crops needed to be cycled for the good of the land."

"As you should with people," Kamyar advised. "Janiya, don't get me wrong: you have an image that needs to be attended to. Sometimes, your subjects just don't like each other for petty reasons, so they look to you. However, you need to keep a patient ear at times, and stay your blade. Especially right now, where people need comforting more than ever. While we only have one Argelian commander here in the south to contend with, the fact that he's giving Cruibia a difficult time for one general makes him a dangerous opponent. If the main Argelian army wasn't preoccupied with the northern nations, the war would be upon us all. You need to remind them that, so we have more people to defend our homes… not fighting over petty squabbles. You jumping to violence doesn't express a positive example." Janiya sighed.

"You're right, uncle," Janiya said. "Still, I'm a woman of action! I'm not cut out for being a calm ruler if I can barely avoid fantasizing about beating as many skulls as I had to as long as it ended a land dispute!" She then said, "Well, I'm hoping they learn to share the crop fields. Coercing them into simply erecting fences and cycling what they grow took an entire afternoon. Honestly, if you ask me, that place looked great for tea plants from Xuhua."

"Speaking of tea, m'lady," Caspar said, "do you wish for me to make you and your family some?"

"That sounds lovely, Caspar," Janiya beamed. "Thank you." The servant bowed before running off. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without him around."

"My niece, politics aren't easy," Kamyar said. "Yesterday's enemies can become tomorrow's best friends. Clinging to your past and base instincts will only lead to ruin. Thinking about everything you hear and having an open mind is often the right path. It's something I told your mother again and again when we were growing up. We didn't have much when we were your age right now. And it's an especially important lesson now, considering you and your sister are both royalty. Which reminds me… today, there's a play going on, courtesy of a group of gypsies I owed a favor to once upon a time. It's your mother's story."

"Mother's story?" Yasmin asked. "Really?"

"Gypsies?" Janiya asked. "When did you owe a band of gypsies a favor, Uncle Kamyar?"

"Guaril Dighton, the rom baro of this band, and I once met in our youth," Kamyar recalled. "He actually saved my life during the time I was drafted into your father's army, and I was taken prisoner by a rogue group of manaketes who decided they'd try eating human. He and his girlfriend tricked the manaketes into eating something else laced with drakoroot to make them sleep, and got my unit freed, and he even healed me when… you know."

"Your hemophilia, right?" Yasmin said. Kamyar nodded.

"Manakete got me in the leg when she captured me," Kamyar recalled, holding up his robes to reveal a long healed scar. "The bleeding wouldn't stop, and I was fearing for my life. But Guaril stitched me up and waved that staff of his until it ran out of charges. And then grabbed another staff, casting as many heal spells as he could to stop the bleeding."

"How did you avoid being swindled and left to die back then?" Janiya questioned.

"Well," Kamyar answered, "having an open mind, for starters. And compared to being eaten and bleeding out, facing a notorious Romani clan was the least terrifying thing about that cave."

"Really, Father?" a male voice asked. The three looked to see that Etti had returned, this time with three people. One was a young man above Yasmin's age with black, slightly curled hair, wearing blue and white robes, and the eyes of his mother. The other two were younger than Yasmin, one a girl about 16 with orange hair, a light blue shirt, black skirt, and white tights under it, and the other an armor clad young man also 16 with black armor over blue clothes, reading a book. "Not even that other thief you talked about besides Guaril?"

"Benyamin!" Yasmin beamed, rushing up and hugging him. She then broke the hug, and grabbed the other two before they could escape. The girl laughed at her big cousin's antics, while the boy grunted. "Milad and Ziba! I missed all of you!"

"Good to see you, too, cousin," the boy, Milad, said, trying to push her off. "But if you don't let go, I swear to Rerci Herself that I WILL hex you one of these times." Yasmin backed up.

"He doesn't really mean that," Ziba said, innocently bouncing up and down. "Still, I missed you, too, Yasmin!" She then looked at Janiya, and said, "And I missed you as well, Janiya!"

"Glad to see all three of you," the younger of the princesses said. "How's everything in Cubes?"

"It's going pretty well," Benyamin reported. "So far, the Argelians aren't interested in planning a strike against us, yet, even though they've recently made King Rifat bend his knee to them. It's supposedly thanks to that new privateer tactician that's been making waves these past couple years. I'm guessing they're planning on taking the whole north before they decide to strike southwards. A big mistake on their parts, seeing as you're now a few months away from securing the biggest military alliance in Orobia's history."

"Speaking of your upcoming wedding," Ziba said, "do you have a maid of honor? Will there be flowers? Is Uncle Darius performing the ceremony, do you want to get Father to do it, or are you hiring a bishop?"

"Well, I suppose asking Uncle Kamyar would be cost-efficient since Father's paying for everything," Janiya said, looking at their uncle. He nodded. "As for flowers, I've gotten Yasmin to agree to Jasminum… you know, because it reminds us all of her name."

"And yes, I have a maid of honor," Yasmin said, looking at her sister. Janiya blinked. Yasmin nodded, making Janiya blush at the offer. "As for flowers and everything, we're working on it. But I think we've delayed enough for Uncle Kamyar's friends. We have a play to watch, don't we?"

"Right," Kamyar agreed. "Come on. It'll start, soon." As they walked from the small castle to attend the play, none of them saw a group of hooded people wandering through town, a few pointing at various locations.

* * *

 **Marketplace**

The group soon arrived in a square in the marketplace, at the foot of a large statue dedicated to the late Cruibian queen that was born in Cubes. Janiya and Yasmin looked at the statue, and both princesses silently bowed their heads to her. Neither princess ever thought they could ever truly be half the woman their mother was, but could at least try to honor her memory and bring Cruibia back to the light.

The two then heard the sound of a clearing throat, signaling the start of the gypsies performance. Yasmin looked at the older man dressed in the brightly colored tunic, cape, and pants of an Orobian trickster at the center of the impromptu stage, and realized quickly that the old man must have been the infamous Guaril that their uncle told them about.

 _"_ _Ladies and gentlemen, both young and old,  
We have a treat for you, today.  
Witness and celebrate the tales, brave and bold,  
Of Queen Minoo in our simple play!"_

Janiya spotted her sister staring in awe of the Romani beginning their dance to the rhythm of Guaril's flute. It was truly a rainbow of colors and beauty. But one gypsy stood out to Janiya. The one wearing pink and white, who deliberately had mud on her costume, reminding the two girls their mother of their mother's favorite colors and how she rose from nothing to the legendary queen she was. Her blue and black hair was a contrast to Minoo, but that didn't matter, it was a play. Finally, her golden necklace had on it a purple gemstone similar to the red gemstone on the fragment on Yasmin's necklace.

 _"_ _Born to a poor family from the slums of Cubes,  
Minoo started quite down on her luck."_

At this point four other women came to the dancer's side.

 _"_ _But a band of friends helped her escape,  
And upon a new path she struck!"_

The five women began dancing together in sync at a fast pace, while the old man and several others played instruments alongside them. Yasmin, meanwhile, stared at the necklace, and her eyes seemed to gleam, which didn't go unnoticed by Janiya, who grabbed her sister….

* * *

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

 _Janiya looked around her, confused. She saw Cubes, but it was on fire. It was starting at the local Church of Rerci, and spread throughout the town. A group of men stood at the source of the fire, surrounding a sinister white-haired woman with pointed ears, clad in black and purple garb, pointing a blade at Janiya in one hand and holding up a fireball in the other…._

 _"_ _For your misguided worship of Rerci… All of Cruibia will BURN!" the woman declared, launching the fireball towards Janiya._

* * *

Janiya shook her head, and found herself listening to the blue-haired gypsy continue to sing.

 _"_ _Minoo was first joined by Farah,  
her one tried and true best friend.  
Together they traveled through Orobia,  
Staying by each other until the end._

 _"_ _Next came the group's heart Kalia,  
A pure and rather gentle soul,  
who sought to heal the wounded and sick  
No matter how high the toll._

 _"_ _Then came beloved Etti,  
who had a great and mighty mind  
Minoo always relied on her  
whenever the five were in a bind_.

 _"_ _Finally, there was Adre,  
who was small yet quite strong,  
her surprising might and daring  
have been the subject of many a song!"_

"(What in Rerci's name did I just witness…?)" Janiya whispered while the story was going on. As much as she would like to fully embrace her mother's story, the thought of Cubes burning to the ground was a far more pressing matter. Yasmin, blinking, looked at her sister.

"(You saw that vision, too?)" Yasmin asked. "(The one with the genie woman?)" Janiya nodded her head. "(...I'm finally having visions. But what triggered this… hm?)" She looked at the lead dancer, who was pretending to be confronted by bandits.

 _"_ _Even when facing mortal danger,  
Minoo was not one to be afraid!  
She set out to find the sands' treasures,  
leader of her loyal brigade!"_

The "bandits" were defeated, and applause was offered from the crowd. Janiya raised her eyebrow, and asked, "(Wait, are you saying that that gypsy girl right there, playing our mother, is actually the key to you finally getting your powers?)"

"(Well, anything is possible,)" Yasmin said.

The next thing the two of them knew, a brown rabbit landed on Janiya's head.

 _"_ _Heroes they were to the common folk  
in an age of fear and strife,  
facing off brigands and monsters and the dark  
while trying to improve their way of life."_

The two girls watched as the rabbit hopped off Janiya and to the lead dancer, a scroll in her mouth. The dancer picked up the rabbit, and opened the scroll after the rabbit scampered away. The dancer gasped, and showed her fellow dancers.

 _"_ _Trouble had emerged from the west  
when a war had been declared.  
Minoo feared for her drafted brother's life  
and struck out to see him spared."_

Kamyar chuckled, shaking his head while the women danced with an increased tempo. "You'd think me being the big brother meant I'd look after Minoo more," he said. "When she pretty much raced home to save ME from war, it was surprising."

A puff of smoke erupted, stopping the dancing, and brought everyone's attention to the stage, where a treasure chest was in the middle of it. In the chest was a collection of golden trinkets, looking similar to Yasmin's necklace, and a rested wyrmslayer… that looked eerily familiar to Janiya.

 _"_ _But on their way back to save him,  
They discovered a great treasure horde.  
Little did the maidens know, of course  
the power that rested in the sword…."_

 _ **BOOOOM!**_

The town square shook, and everyone looked to see a building now on fire. Janiya and Yasmin looked at each other, horrified. "Janiya, do you think…?" Yasmin asked.

"Is that… the Temple of Rerci!?" a Cruibian soldier questioned.

"We ought to do something about it!" another answered. The two soldiers ran to assist with stopping the fire. Kamyar and his family looked to see only Yasmin remained behind of the two royals, while Lilah and Dastan confused.

"Yasmin," Kamyar asked, "where's your little sister!?" Lilah and Dastan both gasped in horror.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Dastan frowned. "Why doesn't that princess ever stay in a place where I can easily guard her!?"

"I have a feeling I know where she went," Yasmin said, grabbing her staff.

"I do, too," Lilah said, before walking away from the crowd, and whistling. It was at that point a black pegasus swooped down, landing next to her. She mounted the pegasus, and reached her hand out to Yasmin, and the two took off.

* * *

 **Temple of Rerci Entrance**

Janiya, as well as Caspar and Elahe, arrived downtown, Janiya drawing her sword. Caspar had a dagger in his hand, twirling it, while Elahe had a tome in her hand, and a floating carpet appeared beside her. The three bared witness to the sight of the church on fire, with a group of cloaked people, eagerly holding a pastor and several clerics at swordpoint, the pastor being severely injured.

"W… Why?" the pastor asked, looking at the cloaked men asked. "We're harmless folks, here! We were just wishing to pray to Rerci in peace!"

"'Wishing'," one of them, the ringleader most likely said. "How appropriate you mention Rerci, whose half-genie and supposed to grant those who work to free Her any wish they desire. Many view Her as a demigoddess, at least, if not a full Goddess. Well, I guess power like that would make anyone pray. But She's never answered my prayers. She didn't get me out of the slums of Ustros or prevent this damn war!" He then slugged the pastor, causing the clerics to scream.

"Please, stop this!" one of the clergywomen begged. "We've done nothing to harm you, sir!"

"You're right, you've done nothing to harm me," the man said, turning to her. He grabbed her by her throat, and said, "But then again, you and Rerci both have done nothing to HELP me, either! Here we all stand, facing the greatest war in Orobia since Xuhua tried to make an empire almost fifty years ago, and that bastard spare Poswali Prince Aseel manipulated his brother, the last Poswali Sultan, nearly thirty years back! And yet, Rerci Herself doesn't bother coming to our aid, no matter how much we pray to Her! Well, to hell with Rerci! I've found myself a new goddess! And one of Her first commands was to burn down every Temple of Rerci in Cruibia! But I think I'll earn bonus points if I slaughter every single one of Rerci's so-called faithful!"

"But Adeeb," one of the rogue soldiers said, "didn't we say we'd take people from Cubes and make them into slaves?"

"That was before we met a true goddess!" the leader, Adeeb, said. "Sure, we can work alongside those Ustrosi Thieves Guild slavers and give them a few of these Cruibian sheep, but Cubes burns and those who refuse to renounce Rerci are kindling!"

"Oh, Rerci above, please send us aid!" one of the other clergywomen cried.

"Okay, I can't stomach this!" Elahe said, looking at Janiya.

"We're not going to," Janiya answered. She then brandished Hova, let the magic circle form around her feet, extended her hand, and blasted an intense wind spell, throwing another of the cloaked men into the wall of the church, earning their attention and making the leader of the brigands let go of his captive. "You who attack this town: I am Princess Janiya Madani of Cruibia! You have attacked my subjects unprovoked and spit upon holy ground! I will not let your actions go unpunished!"

"A princess?" a barbarian asked, before scoffing at her. "Breaking her won't be easy or fun."

"Agreed," Adeeb said. "Slaughter her and her crew and be done with it! That will send the king a message that his prayers to Rerci are worthless and our new goddess is coming for him!"

"Okay, that tears it," Janiya frowned.

"Be careful, m'lady," Caspar said. "They're out for blood. They won't try to take you alive once you show your skills."

Janiya, noticing the barbarian was in her attack range, stepped forward, drew her blade, and slashed at the barbarian. She avoided his counterattack, and nodded to Elahe, who was already on her flying carpet and launched a Thunder spell that finished off the brigand. At this moment, more ruffians approached, including a cavalier on a camel brandishing a sword.

"Uh-oh," Elahe breathed. "I wasn't expecting company…."

"Neither was I," Janiya said, blocking a mercenary before slashing him for damage and Caspar hitting with his knife. At this point, a pair of pegasi swooped down, each with a rider and the rider having a passenger. On the black pegasus was Lilah and Yasmin, Yasmin holding her staff and an Ellight spell, an advanced light spell. On the other was a young red-haired woman, her hair tied in a pair of short pigtails, wearing light armor and brandishing a spear, while the other had on it a young brown-haired man a bit younger than Janiya with a bow and quiver full of arrows in it.

"Well, good thing we're here to help," Yasmin said. "Janiya, you shouldn't rush into battle without a plan, at least! That's what Father and Mother said to you, isn't it?"

"...Yes, Yasmin," Janiya frowned. "Anyway, I take it you're here to help?"

"Yes," Yasmin said. "Although I'm not exactly a fan of violence, I CAN heal you from afar with my Physic staff."

"Meanwhile, I'll take to battling those ones over there," Lilah said, pointing to a group of incoming foes while Yasmin got off. "These fiends will rue the day they spat upon Rerci with this act of sacrilege against Her."

While Lilah flew off to engage the newcomers, the young man got off the pegasus, and raised his bow. "Lady Janiya," the archer said, "allow us to help."

"Thank you, Payam," Janiya said after the archer let fly an arrow, taking down one of the anarchists.

"We're not going to let you and Lady Yasmin have all of the fun!" the pegasus knight said. "Emerald's going to be so jealous that we got to fight by your side and she didn't!"

"Don't get cocky, Rosetta!" Janiya warned. The younger princess was grazed in her arm by a lance-wielding soldier. She grabbed Hova, and blasted the soldier back. She felt healing magic wash over her, and looked back to Yasmin, who gave her a small smile. Rosetta, meanwhile swooped in and finished the soldier off.

Meanwhile, Caspar was healing Elahe, who had gotten a painful axe slash, and had lowered her carpet to the ground. "You have to be a bit more careful, Elahe," the butler said. "You may be a genie, but you are still mortal."

"I know, I know," Elahe frowned. "I'm not a bound genie, so no magically accelerated healing that makes you practically immortal as long as you protect whatever object your soul is bound to and you grant whoever holds your object that's not you whatever wish they desire. Not that I'd want to be bound to anything… I've heard stories of what happens to a bound genie when their objects are destroyed." She then gasped, and raised her hand.

 ** _BZAAAP!_**

Caspar looked behind him to see a now electrocuted mercenary sneaking up on him. "Thank you, Elahe," Caspar smiled.

"Least I can do for my favorite healer," Elahe smiled back, a blush on her cheeks.

Janiya focused on Adeeb, noticing his use of a sword. The two now locked in combat, trying to overpower each other. "I understand that you don't like Rerci," Janiya said, locking blades. "A lot of people have fallen out of faith with Her due to how hard things have been since the Widowing Massacre. I myself have even questioned my own faith. However, we all have to remember She's been sealed away by mankind for her existence causing the Dragon-Genie War. Even if She's willing to forgive our misguided and impulsive blame, it doesn't change the fact that She, as a genie, is still bound to certain rules, and can't leave Her prison!"

"Maybe," Adeeb spat, pushing on his sword to push Janiya's iron sword back. "But even so, magic didn't get me to where I am, and Rerci certainly didn't, either! I got MYSELF to where I am, even before I met a real goddess!"

"Who is this goddess of yours?" Janiya questioned, taking a few steps back. "And why is this so-called goddess demanding you burn down a temple and kill men and women of the cloth? Even nations worshipping other gods had standards about sparing healers, clergymen, and civilians!"

"Like I'd tell the likes of you anything before sending you to your grave!" Adeeb declared, pushing up to make Janiya break off the blade clash. He then swung down, but Janiya, remembering her father's advice, moved to evade the strike. While Adeeb was recovering from putting too much power, thrust her blade several times into him, none of the stabs hitting vital areas, but enough to cause him to slow down. Eventually, he knelt down in defeat, while Lilah defeated several other soldiers.

Janiya placed her sword to his neck. "It's obvious you're just a messenger," the younger of the Cruibian princesses said. "So who's the message from?"

"Again, I'm not going to tell you anything," Adeeb spat. "I'm more than ready to die for my goddess, Cruibian witch! The question you should ask yourself is if you're ready to die for yours."

"...I'm not sure about dying, but if you're not going to repent…." Janiya scowled, raising her sword arm, while Adeeb offered only a sickening grin. However, it was grabbed by a delicate hand. Adeeb's twisted smile turned into a shocked face. She looked to see her older sister now standing behind her.

"There's been enough violence, today, Janiya," Yasmin scolded. "Too much blood is already being shed, especially now in front of this holy place."

"Sister," Janiya argued, "this man and his people attacked not just a house of Rerci, but our mother's hometown! The place our aunt and uncle watch over! The place you and I were born! And he intended to slaughter or enslave countless innocents! All in the name of some mysterious figure he refuses to disclose the identity of! And now, he has the GALL to not only refuse to apologize, but mock us for it! On our mother's BIRTHDAY, no less! Why shouldn't I execute him!?"

"Because you'd only make a martyr, if nothing else," Yasmin simply answered. "Think about it: this is a man who is so disillusioned with Rerci, he'd willingly burn down one of her temples in the name of whatever deity he follows. Surely, there are plenty more followers of this madness. Executing this man without a fair trial will only cause more anti-Rerci fanatics to flock to Cruibia with the intent to finish what he's started. But his crimes are well-known and have more than enough witnesses to guarantee a fair trial." Janiya relented, and sheathed her blade. Yasmin smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Only because you make a good point," Janiya answered. She even closed Hova. "Still, he's too dangerous to let go. I want him locked up." Looking at Dastan finally approaching, she added, "We have Templars who can get the information out of him."

"Thank you, Princess," Dastan said, walking over and restraining Adeeb.

"Don't torture him," Yasmin instructed. "If we show him the love and gentleness of Cruibia, maybe we can get through to him." The madman spat at Yasmin's feet.

"Your mercy and idealism is naïve," Adeeb said. "Sooner or later, your misguided, soft heart will stop beating because you still have hope for peace where there is no more room in all of Orobia for it. In order for Orobia to reach its true potential, fools like you and all manaketes have to be slaughtered. We will rebuild over your ashes." He was then lead away by Dastan.

"Don't listen to him, Lady Yasmin," Lilah said, walking over. "Not everyone believes in peace, anymore. It's takes a strong heart to still do so…."

"Yasmin! Janiya!" Kamyar called. The two princesses and everyone else looked to see Kamyar, Etti, and their children approaching. "Thank Rerci you all are safe! If anything happened to you on my watch, I don't know how'd I explain it to your father!"

"Thank Rerci they were here," the pastor said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I would never had expected in my lifetime that I'd be rescued by the Cruibian Princesses."

"You're welcome," Janiya said. Turning to her uncle, she apologized, "And I'm sorry, Uncle Kamyar, Aunt Etti. I can't turn a blind eye to danger."

"How did you know where exactly to go, however?" Milad asked. "I don't think we've ever really taken you to the Temple during your stays in the past."

"I thought we did once or twice," Ziba said to her older twin brother. "Benyamin?"

"That was the OLD Temple that we had to close down," Benyamin answered.

"I think I know how," Etti said, looking at Yasmin's necklace. "...What did you see, Yasmin?"

"Huh?" Yasmin asked.

"You had a vision, didn't you?" Etti questioned with a smirk. "Something led you and Janiya, who briefly grabbed onto you, here to this Temple. What was your vision?"

"Mother?" Benyamin asked.

"Something you didn't know about your Aunt Minoo," Etti explained, "is thanks to the necklace she has given your cousin, she was able to, at times, see into the future. At first, she was able to sense if someone was lying. But later on, she was able to experience full visions of the future. She was able to share the visions with whomever was touching her."

"That explains how I saw that genie woman setting Cubes ablaze, starting at the Temple," Janiya realized. "Aunt Etti, when did the visions start for Mother?"

"I think it was either Farah or Kalia's similar artifacts that triggered her own," Etti recalled. "Had the play continued as planned, you would have seen all replicas of the three."

"...But Sultana Farah's body didn't have a necklace," Janiya recalled. "At least, that's what I saw at the funeral. Yasmin, did Sulaiman ever tell you about his older brother or Sultan Mecca having Sultana Farah's necklace?" Yasmin shook her head. "Then… how did you have that vision?"

"...I think I have an idea," Yasmin asked. "We need to check on the performers."

"Oh my gods, you're right!" Kamyar gasped. "I think before we went looking for you all, Yasmin, an extra group of slavers approached the leading performer in the marketplace! I have to go back and defend it!"

"You'd be surprised, Duke," one of the guards said while coming in. "Those gypsy vermin can handle themselves. They easily defeated the instigators and protected the people!" Yasmin sighed in relief… before realizing the words of the guard.

"'Vermin'?" Yasmin asked. "That's quite rude, Sir Guard! Where are the performers, now?"

"He gave us thirty minutes to clear out about ten minutes ago," a male voice answered, sounding quite annoyed. Janiya yelped as she jumped forward, looking behind her to see an older man clad in vibrant gold and red clothing, with a long red cape flowing behind him. The guards raised their weapons, but the man casually bowed. "A pleasure, m'lady."

"...W-...What?" Janiya asked, looking around. "How did… what the… how'd you get there!?"

"A trickster doesn't reveal his true talents," the man said. "Guaril Dighton, at your service."

"Ah, Guaril," Kamyar smirked. "You certainly snuck up on me, again." He then pulled out a heavily filled coin pouch, and handed it to Guaril. "There you are."

"A pleasure doing business with you, Kamyar," Guaril said. "Although I never met Minoo in person, I can tell she was a wonderful lady, and the world is grayer without your sister." He looked behind him, and said, "Este cu siguranță feroce pentru mine, fără propria-mi iubită." Elahe's ears perked up, but she remained quiet.

"Bloody gypsy!" the guard scowled. "How dare you approach the royal family so brazenly!?"

"I'm not harming them," Guaril said, raising his hands up. "Besides, I needed to collect my fee that was agreed upon before I leave with my wife and daughter, the latter of whom is currently working on tearing down our stage."

"Wife and daughter…." Yasmin repeated. "Tell me, Sir Guaril." Guaril blinked, looking at her. "Your daughter wouldn't happened to have been playing 'Minoo', would she?"

"...Quite observant of you," Guaril smirked. "Yes, my daughter, Tawni. She's quite the skilled girl. With a bit more training, I think she could easily become a master performer… if not a full-blown trickster."

"Perhaps," Yasmin said. "Thank you, Sir Guaril, for the performance."

"Not a problem, Princess," Guaril said. Janiya looked at the inquisitive smile on her older sister's face, while everyone else shot each other looks of confusion.

The guard eventually said, "Alright, gypsy, you got your coin. Now get… huh?" Everyone looked up to see Guaril had already left. "Bloody gypsies."

"You shouldn't be so rude," Yasmin chastised. "These Romani risked their own lives to save the people of Cubes in the marketplace. We'll have a proper discussion, later."

"With all due respect, Princess," Dastan said as he walked back, "most Romani are thieves and schemers. Some have even been assassins with royal blood on their hands in the past. We're lucky Guaril decided to take his money and leave."

"Guaril may be a famous Romani leader, but he's an honorable man," Kamyar said. "He had no reason to save my life, once, but he did. Unlike his ally… what was his name, again? Cassim? No, no… it started with an M, if I recall…."

"Um, Father?" Milad asked. "Not to be rude, but… where's Yasmin?" Everyone looked to see Yasmin was gone. Janiya, realizing where her sister went, turned back towards the marketplace.

* * *

 **Marketplace**

"...Really?" the blue-haired gypsy breathed to Yasmin while Janiya finally arrived back in the marketplace, spotting a large, stuffed cart. The gypsy was holding something before putting it in her shirt.

"Yes," Yasmin answered. "What do you think?"

"W-Wow!" the gypsy practically cheered. "I… I have to talk to Father about this! He'll be thrilled!" She then eagerly hugged Yasmin, who returned the hug. "Thank you, Princess! You won't regret hiring us!"

"You're welcome," Yasmin replied once the hug broke. "Oh, and go ahead and keep that, by the way. I have plenty more copies where that came from." The gypsy girl giggled before turning to her cart, and whistled. The rabbit from before hopped over, and landed on her head.

"Hai, Calypso. Avem o performanță de pregătit!" the gypsy cheered, hopping on the cart and grabbing the reigns. She then whistled, and a blonde girl clad in spandex beneath a yellow belly top and skirt climbed on next to her, followed by two brothers dressed in red and green. The red one shot Janiya a flirty smile, only to get a small pellet of food thrown at his head. He turned to see the blue haired girl shooting him a small glare, holding up rabbit pellets while her pet happily ate. Yasmin began walking away back to her sister.

"Good news, sister!" the older princess beamed. "I just hired the entertainment!"

"What?" Janiya asked. "You… you hired the Dighton clan to be your wedding's entertainment!?"

"Uncle Kamyar was willing to trust them," Yasmin said. "And besides, Miss Tawni was a lovely conversationalist, admits Sulaiman is handsome, and she knows a lot about Mother thanks to Uncle Kamyar. Not to mention that there's something about Miss Tawni that, for some reason or another, triggered my first vision. I bet if I spent more time with her… I could find out what really happened the night our mother was killed. We could end the war!"

"Speaking of your first vision," Janiya recalled, "we still don't know about that genie woman we saw ordering Cruibia destroyed. We need to keep our guard up, Yasmin."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So, you may have read this, stopped, and asked, "Wait a minute, why does this look familiar?" The answer: Janiya's second chapter takes place at the same time as Tawni's first. That is intentional, as if you recall that chapter, Yasmin witnessed the play, and asked Tawni herself a question. I wanted to remind you that almost every story is connected, even though there are times when the stories' connections aren't obvious.

Anyway, as you saw here, Janiya may have started out with just herself, but she gains many allies in this chapter. With Caspar as a Servant wielding daggers and staves serving as a healer, Elahe being a Jann genie and therefore carpet rider (a brand new class) who uses magic, Rosetta being a pegasus knight, Payam being an archer (and as you'll see later, Janiya's childhood friend), and Yasmin herself being the Sage-like Enchanter, giving her access to light magic alongside Elahe, and the ability to heal.

As you can see at the end, though, Janiya realizes their troubles are only beginning.

Now, before I go, I probably answer some reviews/comments.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** I really hope I got your username right. I mainly used the other games simply because the Outrealms exist and I wanted to acknowledge them. Now that they're acknowledged, we'll discuss getting your character in properly, later.

But that said, I wanted to connect the four characters. Which is why you hear mentions of each other throughout each one's stories in these mini-campaigns before the real stuff happens. While none of the "lords" will ever personally interact with each other until the main story happens, they've all heard about each other in one way or another. That said, it's going to be a nightmare when they finally DO get involved with each other, since PoV will be confusing.

I like breaking the action into chunks like this. You hear the characters talk and interact, then you get some action, and then more talking while the tension lowers itself. It makes it slightly more plausible and easier to handle. That's just my opinion though, as writing entire chapter-length battles is a hassle.

 **ZenoZen:** Well, I wanted a world that was sort of believable enough that it could BE a part of the _Fire Emblem_ multiverse, but my own enough to have some originality. So, yeah, I had to work with the lore, which took the actual better part of this past year. Of course, I'm still building as I go. Hell, Sizah, the antagonist of this campaign, wasn't even an idea until I realized Janiya lacked an interesting antagonist, I wanted another female antagonist apart from those I had planned, and I also wanted to expand upon the world and the history of some of the Cornelius archetypes. I know the Cornelius-type characters are only supposed to exist to DIE, but if Hector was allowed to have a major part in a prequel to Roy's story, why not expand upon Minoo and her friends. And yes, I emphasize Minoo over even Farah, because Minoo was actually the hero, and Farah the lancer.

Anyway, ask for Janiya, and you recieve Janiya.

 **Kaychains:** Yeah, if anything, Tawni is the Ike of this game, but far more polite and energetic. She's not a royal, she's just the daughter of her caravan's leader, and a bit of a thief. I wanted her to definitely deviate from the typical princes that take after Marth or the delicate girls that take after Eirika, but be her own character. I'm surprised nobody voted for her on my author page poll.

 **The Gaming Geek Gina:** Okay, I'm not going to lie to you, I like the alliteration of your pen name. Anyway, thank you very much for your feedback!

 **Ike:** Wait, the Radiant Hero? How did you get to Orobia? Well, while you're here, here's the next chapter, sorry for the delay, I wanted to iron out some serious kinks.

 **Wandering dude 1:** Got your character, by the way. Interesting to see... we may need to talk, later. And yeah, I thought it was a good setting, too, since the _Arabian Nights_ are actually set around the same time period as medieval times, where the _Fire Emblem_ series gets much of its inspiration... with the exception of Chon'sin and Hoshido, both more likely leaning towards feudal Japan.

...I'm sorry, I'm rambling.

Alright, that should be everything. Next time, we're going back to Howe, and then either Tawni or Sulaiman. Farewell, subjects!


	7. Howe Chapter 2: Setting Sail

A/N: Well, second in the popularity poll was Howe. I'm surprised you all are okay with the privateer. I'm guessing some people like a Sinbad expy... because that's kind of what Howe is.

...I was going somewhere with this, but let's get back to the pirate.

* * *

 _Summary: After committing mutiny to save the lives of his former crewmates, Sirius Howe had barely avoided the hangman's noose thanks to meeting Sema Aksoy of the Argelian Empire. In exchange, she has hired him as a privateer. His first assignment: capture an Ustrosi port town to use as an impromptu staging area. Little does Howe know the politics of the Empire..._

* * *

 **Howe's Tale, Chapter 2: "Setting Sail"**

 **The** ** _Eccentric_** **—The Galley—Some Time After Dilazak was... Removed...**

"So," Keyon bluntly asked while he and the other mutineers were waiting for word about Howe, "what are the odds that Howe's already dead?"

"Keyon!" Anna and Piper chided.

"What, you girls are thinking it!" Keyon replied. "And Anna, you'd actually TAKE that bet, don't lie!"

Anna frowned, and sighed. "500 Gold says he's alive."

"Anna!" Piper protested.

"I'm sorry, but it's free money!" Anna said.

"Don't count your coin until it's in your hand," Keyon replied. "Didn't you see the captain? He was seeing red! When he past me by, he said he'd 'deal with us treacherous scum, later'. The next time we saw him, he was being dragged off the ship, his gloves covered in blood!"

"That could've been anyone's blood," Piper said. "There's no reason it had to be Howe's…."

"Think about it, Piper," Keyon waved off her hope. "Dilazak has been looking for an excuse to more than just fire Howe for annoying him for a long time. Even if it was to save all our lives, Howe just led a mutiny! One that the three of us participated in, which is why we're all out of a job, but it was HOWE who led it! That's as good of an excuse as any to gut him. The only reason the captain of this ship probably had him expelled was because Dilazak did it in a brutal manner. In Giuss, stealing ships is a very serious offense unless given viable proof of the captain's incompetence, and even then, Captain Dilazak had no reason to believe Howe's rumor ear."

"That you agreed with?" Anna recalled.

"It made sense until Howe decided to order us to blow up the pirate ship as a colossal 'screw you' to one of the biggest crime organizations in the world," Keyon defended himself. "Then Howe crossed a line and endangered every single one of us."

"The Ustrosi Thieves Guild needs to be taken down a peg, though," Piper frowned.

"Not like that," Keyon argued. "There's going to be bounties on our heads sooner or later, and it's Howe's fault." He sighed at Piper's pouting and Anna tilting her head. "My point is, if Howe's not a corpse the next time we see him, if we see him, that will be a miracle."

"Then consider me a miracle man," Howe said, walking in next to Sema.

"You have GOT to be kidding me," Keyon scowled, placing 500 Gold coins on the table and sliding it to an eager Anna. Sema raised an eyebrow, but shook her head while Anna counted her money.

"Everyone, meet my lovely new boss, Captain Sema Aksoy."

"Don't worry, I speak Orobian," Sema said, standing at full attention. The trio looked at Howe in confusion, and then at the captain. "Captain Sirius here and I have come to an arrangement: he is going to be my privateer in the war against the Orobian forces, taking the spot intended for Zrisse." The three gasped, realizing how barely they avoided getting killed by the Empire for interfering with their affairs. "The reason why the three of you are still aboard my ship is because the captain of your old ship had reported that he's fired all of you for the mutiny, and we've kicked him off my ship for his actions against Sirius. Also, Captain Sirius here had requested to keep the three of you aboard his unit."

"Wait, what!?" Anna asked.

"How did you… Captain?" Piper asked. "Howe, you became a captain!? That's amazing!"

"Thank you, Piper," Howe nodded.

"I'll prepare your first mission in my captain quarters," Piper said, looking at Howe. "Come find me when you're done catching your crew up to speed about their new place in Argelia." She then walked away, leaving Howe to turn to his crew.

"I guess the three of you do work for me, now," Howe said. "I'm sorry I ruined all of your careers with Giuss, but I'm NOT sorry for pissing off Captain Dilazak, briefly taking over the _Dove,_ and saving all of the crew's ungrateful lives. I guess this means no Nourdari trips for the next while, once our new affiliation is know… but at least we'll get to sail however we want, as long as we help end this war I unintentionally started with my cowardice."

"...Howe, what the HELL did you do!?" Keyon asked, partially concerned and partially furious.

"I thought you'd like being offered a job, at least," Howe explained. "You're going to earn more gold fighting for Argelia than you'd ever earn sailing for Captain Dilazak."

"Yeah, but one, I don't like having my career decisions made for me by an army brat who supposedly knows more than me," Keyon complained. He then furiously whispered, "Two, aren't you the one who repeatedly got into trouble FOR sympathizing with Orobia in the first place!? Isn't that exactly how you got on Captain Dilazak's bad side these past two years!? Look, I may be one whose only in this for the money, and I'm proud to admit it, but it's kind of messed up how easily you're willing to throw away your sympathies to avoid the hangman's noose! Your moral compass needs work!"

"I'm still sympathetic to Orobia!" Howe said. "But… something tells me Captain Aksoy, for some reason or another, does NOT approve of what happened two years ago, either." The three looked at Howe in surprise.

"Are you sure, Howe?" Anna questioned. "That's a heck of an accusation… and a juicy secret if it's true."

"It has to be true," Howe answered. "She knows I'm not too happy with it, because she's reviewed my file. What other reason would an Argelian captain loyal to the Imperial crown have to spare me, a known troublemaker who speaks out against the massacre despite my training in helmsmanning, tactics, strategy, and combat?" Piper shrugged.

"When you put it like that, Captain," the orange-haired mercenary said, "you have a point. "It doesn't matter how smart or tough you are, you killed her original recruit, and if you didn't have similar ideologies, what reason would she have to put you on as a privateer? She'd have made you hang by now!"

"Already calling him 'Captain', I see," Anna winked at Piper, who blushed. "Well… it does suit Howe, in a way. But if there's a way to sell anything, I call first dibs at doing it."

"So, I'm the only one of us who has any objections to this outcome," Keyon observed. "...Alright, fine, I'm joining the crew. But only because nobody else is offering any other way we can eventually get back to Giuss with a ship."

"Thanks, guys," Howe said. "I can't promise anything right now, but we'll make the best of this situation. Once the war is over, we'll head back to Giuss. If they'll take me back. If you want to get off then, feel free to do so. But there will always be room for you aboard my ship."

"Speaking of 'ships'," Anna observed, "you seem to be lacking one, Howe. Where are we going to get a ship if you're a privateer, now?"

"Oh, right," Howe recalled. "I'm going to discuss that with our new boss. See what else we can get from this contract." He then began to walk towards the captain's quarters.

"Don't forget to ask how much we're being paid to start!" Anna called.

* * *

 **Captain's Quarters**

Howe soon arrived at the door to Sema's room, and inhaled. He was about to knock, when he heard her say, "Efendim, korkuyorum, Zrisse'nin artık askere alınanlar arasında bir seçenek olmadığını {So, my lord, I'm afraid that Zrisse is no longer an option in terms of recruits}."

 _"_ _Ne {What}?"_ a male voice, albeit slightly distorted, questioned. _"Zrisse, Ustrosi Thieves Guild'ine yapmış olduğumuz tek haydut bağlantıydı! Onu nasıl işe aldın, Kaptan Aksoy {Zrisse was our only rogue connection to that Ustrosi Thieves Guild! How did you fail to recruit him, Captain Aksoy}!?"_

"Özür dilerim İmparator, ama toplantıya başlamadan hemen önce soymak için yanlış tüccarları seçti {I'm sorry, Emperor, but he picked the wrong merchants to rob right before meeting us,}" Sema answered. "Onu patlattılar. Bu aksilikten tam sorumluluk alıyorum {They kind of blew him up. I take full responsibility for this setback}."

 _"_ _Tüccarlar bir kişiyi Thieves Guild'a mı öldürdü {Mere merchants killed our one contact into the Thieves Guild}?"_ the male voice asked, soundly more impressed than annoyed... not that Howe truly knew what he said. _"Ya korsan baktıklarından çok daha zayıftı, bu tüccarlar çaresiz millet ya da her ikisi de değildir. Her iki şekilde de Kaptan, başarısızlık senin değil, Zrisse zamanında görüştüğümüze karar vermediği için. Ama Hırsızlar Birliği'ne katılmanın başka bir yolu daha iyi. İmparatorluk buna bağlı {Either that pirate was much weaker than he looked, these merchants are not helpless folks, or both. Either way, Captain, the failure here was not yours, but Zrisse's for not settling for meeting you on time. But you better have another way to get at the Thieves Guild. The Empire depends on it!}"_

"Üzerinde çalışıyorum, Majesteleri {I'm working on it, Your Majesty}," Sema promised. "Bu gerçekleştiğinde, Zrisse'nin yenilgisinden sorumlu tüccar işe alındım. Bir Sirius Howe. Dedesi hem Nobunaga Kuşatması hem de Aseel Savaşı konusunda deneyimli biriydi ve ona adamın bildiği her şeyi öğretti. Ustros'un deniz yollarını da bilir, bu yüzden bu Ustrosi Thieves Guild'ini bir kez ve herkesi köşeye sıkıştırmak için kullanabiliriz {As it happens, I managed to recruit the merchant responsible for Zrisse's defeat. One Sirius Howe. His grandfather was a veteran of both the Nobunaga Siege and Aseel's War, and taught him everything the man knows. He knows the sea routes of Ustros as well, so we could use him to corner the Ustrosi Thieves Guild once and for all}."

The male voice merely hummed at the explanation. _"İlginç bir ihtimal, Yüzbaşı {An interesting prospect, Captain},"_ the said. _"Onu kullan. Ustraları yenmek için gönder onu, ve Hırsızlar Loncası bizden saklanacak hiçbir yere sahip olmayacak. Sonra, Chitra olacak {Make use of him. Send him to defeat Ustros, and the Thieves Guild will have nowhere left to hide from us. Then, Chitra will}—"_

 _"_ _Baba {Father}?"_ a shy, female voice interjected. _"Sizi ve Yüzbaşı Sema'yı rahatsız ettiğim için özür dilerim, ama Duchess Avdin burada, Anne'yi talep ediyor. Ne yapmalıyım {I'm sorry to interrupt you and Captain Sema, but Duchess Avdin is here, demanding Mother. What should I do}?"_

 _"_ _Ah harika {Oh, great},"_ the male voice muttered. He then called, _"Düşes ile bir an ilgileneceğim, canım! Sadece benim için dur {I will deal with the Duchess in a moment, dear! Just please stall for me!}"_ To Sema, he said, _"Argelian İmparatorluğunun kaderi elinizin altında, Kaptan. İmparatoriçe Chitra için başarılı olmalısın {The fate of the Argelian Empire is in your hands, Captain. For Empress Chitra, you must succeed}."_

"İmparatoriçe Chitra için başaracağım {For Empress Chitra, I will succeed}." Howe then waited a few minutes before knocking on the captain's door.

"Captain Aksoy?" he called in, hiding the fact that he overheard that conversation (but due to his poor Argelian, couldn't understand most of it). "It's Howe. You said you wanted to talk about my mission?"

"Right," the Argelian captain agreed. "Come on in." Howe opened the door, and was greeted to the side of Sema sitting down at a table, and a woman with silver hair in a pair of mid-back length pigtails wearing a red and gold dress with a hexagon-shaped hole cut in on her stomach to expose her navel sitting to the side. Something Howe noticed was her ears… pointed towards the sky, unattached earlobes, and a pair of earrings. Furthermore, her barely open hazel eyes were glowing, as if with magic. The lack of wrist bands with symbols in it meant this was a free genie. "This is Habai, my Vice Captain."

"A pleasure, Captain Howe," the woman bowed. She raised a hand, and a magic circle appeared next to Howe, where a chair appeared from it. "Please, have a seat."

"Um… thanks," Howe nodded, grabbing the chair, and bringing it into the room. He then sat next to the genie. "I take it you can summon boats from that?"

"Sadly, I don't have that much power," Habai apologized. "I'm sorry, but my transmutation magic is not as potent."

"Habai is quite young for a djinn," Sema said. "So yes, we're going to need to get you a ship if you're going to be of use to us. The Emperor wants you to start right away."

"Th… the Emperor?" Howe asked. "Not the Empress?"

"The Empress cannot be bothered with the war effort," Sema answered. "So I report directly to the Emperor Consort, who is the Supreme Commander of our armed forces. And you answer directly to me. A lot of pressure is upon us both. So, for your first mission, Captain: you said you had an idea of how we can safely make port into Ustros?"

"Right," Howe said. "Do you have a map?" He was answered by Habai pointing to the desk. Howe looked to see a strange pink crystal on a black slate plate with bizarre markings on it. Habai concentrated her magic on the plate, and a map of Ustros appeared, as well as a ship resembling the _Eccentric._ "Okay, so I take it that we're here." Howe pointed at the ship. "And Nourdari is about… here." He then pointed to a town on the northeastern part of Ustros near the water. He then said, "Now… if I remember Nourdari correctly, the first attack on it left a lot of damage… and also drove the nation to adopting cannon towers to prevent naval approaches."

"Yes, that incident DID make it hard to approach Nourdari," Sema replied.

"Then you need a place that DOESN'T have these towers to land, yet," Howe said. He then danced his finger down a bit before spotting a town. "In my travels to Ustros, the town of Konunlik doesn't have them. I was there a couple months ago, and all it has is a massive lighthouse. It's a three-day sail from here, but if a small team and I go in, we could probably seize the lighthouse, and you and your people can come in and seize the town as a beachhead for you before the full Ustrosi army knows what we're doing! From there, it's a small trek northbound to Nourdari, and we can take down that cannon tower, letting you land your fleet! The last thing they'll expect is a land attack from the south!"

"Not even a day aboard, and already paying off," Sema observed. "I like you, Howe. But are you sure that it has to be you who does this? I have soldiers ready."

"All due respect, Captain," Howe answered, "a pretty lady like you probably knows her way around the battlefield, but if an Argelian commander or her ship gets ANYWHERE near this town before the lighthouse goes out, you'll be spotted, and the whole plan's a bust unless you plan to make it a bloodbath."

"Good point," Sema nodded, although her cheeks were a slight pink for a few seconds. "I want to avoid any unnecessary casualties, if I can. Still, this is going to be dangerous, Captain. Which is why I'm going to request you take Pastor Adem with you. He's not a combatant, but you could use another healer besides that Anna woman."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that," Howe agreed, knowing Anna probably didn't have too many charges left with her staff. "Anything else?"

"Not really," Sema said. "Feel free to help yourselves to the ship's armory, and spend the next three days getting ready. Habai will make sure we have lifeboats prepared, and I'll keep the ship on course. That's all. Dismissed."

"Aye-aye, Captain," Howe smirked, winking at her. He then walked out, leaving the blonde and silver-haired women to themselves. When the door closed, Habai turned to Sema, who was smirking.

"I'm sensing a slight temperature rise from your body, Captain Sema," Habai said. "Was it the man from Giuss? Do you wish to seduce him, Captain? He's technically not a part of your crew or officially a part of the Argelian military, so you could mate with him and NOT have problems."

"H-Habai!" Sema stammered, her cheeks pink. "We don't have time for that!" She then turned away, and said, "Maybe after our overall mission is complete…."

"You know, I can make a relaxing atmosphere, brew an aphrodisiac vulnerary, tell the crew to take a bit of shore leave—"

"Later!" Sema quickly said. "Later, maybe… but for now, we should focus on the war."

* * *

 **Kingdom of Ustros, Port Town of Konunlik—Three Days Later**

Howe rowed the lifeboat he, Adem, and Keyon were sharing towards the docks. "So, let me get this straight," Keyon said while Howe rowed, "you signed us up to infiltrate Konunlik, seize the lighthouse, and let Aksoy take the city?"

"It's less bloody than a full-scale assault," Howe answered. "The city will surrender by dawn when they realize that the Argelians managed to make port and fan out during the night. This is how my grandfather won one of his first major battles."

"So you really are Admiral Novan Howe's grandson?" Adem questioned. "I think the gods have blessed Argelia with this happy accident. We can actually win this war!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Piper said, rowing the lifeboat she and Anna were in next to them. "We need to actually pull of Captain Howe's plan."

"Yeah," Anna agreed. "As my older sister Anna said, 'do not count the gold until you've made the sale'!"

"...Aren't you Anna, though?" Adem asked.

"It's complicated," Anna waved off.

"We're here," Howe spoke up. The two lifeboats arrived at the docks, which did not have too many Ustrosi soldiers guarding it. "Alright, here's the deal: If we can get rid of an enemy in one go, feel free to engage. Otherwise, keep an eye on their line of sight." He spotted the bell towers around the city. "If we're spotted, odds are someone's going to make a beeline for those towers. If they reach them, the whole plan is ruined. So try to avoid getting in their range, if you can. Pair up, if you have to. It may actually help with stealth." He spotted a few blocks of debris. "I bet if we made use of the debris, we could have some improvised cover." He then looked towards the lighthouse. "If we can capture that lighthouse, we're in the clear."

"Hm," Anna said, looking around. "Hello… hey, Captain?" She pointed to a medium-sized cutter that was put in such a place that Howe could exploit his sea walking ability. Howe didn't care about that, though… at least, at first. He was instead focusing on the ship itself. The deck was a lovely shade of light blue, with a large mast in the middle of it, multiple white sails currently furled up, and several polished cannons loaded aboard the ship, complimenting the redwood used in the construction. "What do you think? I'll unlock the gate blocking it for you so you can ferry people across, if you'd like."

"Oh, I like," Howe said. He then realized what Anna said, and blinked. "Oh, my sea-walking. I guess we should probably make use of that so we have less guards to fight."

"I'm sorry, am I missing something, here?" Adem asked.

"Captain Howe thinks he may have found his ship," Piper explained. "After we take the town, we should probably finds out who owns it, if anyone. It looks like it's nearly completed."

"Oh," Adem nodded.

The crew snuck through the city, actively avoiding fights if they could help it. There were a few instances where a soldier or two would make it hard to advance, but Howe, Keyon, and Piper could each hit hard enough to take out the soldier before they could alert anyone else. All three restrained themselves to avoid any killing blows, but they still hid the bodies to not alert the patrolling soldiers. Any scrapes the three earned, Adem and Anna were both quick to heal them.

Eventually, Anna managed to make it to the gated off section of the pier with the cutter. She then set to work on the lock, humming as she did so. The gate opened, and Howe saw the gorgeous ship once again.

"Hello, lovely," Howe breathed. "What's your name?" Keyon shot Howe a look. "What?"

"Let's not get distracted by picking out names for the ship," Keyon remarked. "We have a mission to complete, so don't forget them." He then pointed to the Ustrosi soldiers patrolling the docks and the ship, which included a few pegasus knights, now. One of the pegasus knights' steeds turned towards their direction… which was thankfully hindered by a few crates. The pegasus knight just patted her steed, and flew away to another part of the town, leaving the other two pegasus knights.

"Okay, I don't think we accounted for pegasus knights," Piper frowned. "Anna, you still have your bow, right? Fliers are weak against arrows, I believe."

"They are," Anna frowned, "but I don't think I can get in her range to take her out without being spotted, myself." Placing her hands on her hips, she said, "We need a distraction…."

She was then answered by a large scream. The group looked to see a black-haired man with red and gold clothes, brown eyes, and a goatee running through the city, brandishing a large steel axe. He charged at a patrolling soldier, and slashed him down without so much a qualm.

"Who the hell is that!?" Howe questioned while several other soldiers turned towards the axe-wielding psycho.

"It's an Argelian soldier!" one of the Ustrosi soldiers gasped.

"Not just ANY Argelian soldier," one of the pegasus knights screamed. "That's Captain Ugur, the Coast Reaper! What is HE doing here!?"

"Th… the Coast Reaper?" Howe asked, clenching his hands.

"Howe, forget him," Keyon said, grabbing the captain by his shoulder while several soldiers turned their attention towards Ugur. One of the pegasus knights, the terrified one, began flying towards their group. "Let's just capture the lighthouse… after we deal with that pegasus knight he scared our way. Hey, Anna? Can I borrow that bow?"

"Huh?" Anna asked. "Oh, yeah, here."

She handed Keyon the bow, and he aimed it with a rope tied to an arrow towards a wall. He then let the arrow fly, creating a tripwire for the pegasus too startled to stop, sending her and her rider tumbling to the ground. Keyon then walked over to the moaning pegasus knight, and knocked her out with the bow. He then tied her up with his whip while Piper grabbed the pegasus, and soothed her before she made too much noise.

"I'll leave her for Captain Aksoy to question," Howe suggested. He then led the crew through the town while Ugur took most of the Ustrosi army. Howe, using the cutter as a staging point, ferried each of his crewmates over towards the area where the lighthouse was. By that time, however, Ugur had managed to actually cut a swath of destruction through the town while making sure the last bell tower was not triggered, and had arrived near the lighthouse, and had several light wounds that Adem healed.

"So," Ugur said, "you're Zrisse? You're a lot less feathery than I imagined, bird-man."

"Wait, Zrisse?" Howe asked.

"That's your name, right, Ustrosi?" Ugur questioned. "I know my Orobian isn't the best, but it should be enough for your tiny ears to comprehend."

"Um, no… Zrisse is dead," Howe said. "My crew and I killed him."

"Oh… so a mutiny," Ugur said. "The strong usurping the weak, I see. From what I heard about this Ustrosi Thieves Guild, that is an advancement method among you. I can get behind that, and you probably still have his information. A damn shame you didn't keep him alive, though. I bet crows would have had quite a few tricks, and he would have made a great slave, at least. Still, there should be more of you… unless it was that bloody of a mutiny."

"No, there shouldn't," Keyon replied. "Howe here had us blow up his entire crew, and then your friend Captain Aksoy hired us, instead." Ugur's eyes widened.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said. "Wait a damn minute. You mean to tell me that you're NOT ex-Ustrosi Thieves Guild scum?"

"Yes," Piper said. "We defended ourselves from them. But our old captain didn't like that, and—"

"Was I talking to you, woman?" Ugur nearly snapped at her, making her jump back.

"Hey, leave Piper alone," Howe said. "If you're going to be pissed off at someone, you're staring at him. I'm the one who came up with the plan to kill Zrisse!"

"Howe… that's a bad idea," Keyon said, looking at the eerily calm stare on Ugur's face.

"Oh, really?" Ugur said.

"Yes, actually," Howe said, spreading his arms. "Zrisse attacked our ship, more than likely intending to kill us all and steal our merchandise. I, against my captain's orders to stand down, counterattacked, defeated him, and the only reason I'm not on my way to being executed in Giuss right now because I lead a mutiny is because Captain Aksoy decided to hire me instead!"

"Okay, Howe, you've made a good point here, now shut up," Keyon suggested. "He has a bigger axe than you."

"And you know what, Mr. Ugur? I was in the middle of a stealth mission to take down that lighthouse when you rudely charged the whole Ustrosi army! And what the hell is this about you being 'the Coast Reaper' hinting you were more than likely the person who led the attack that started this war about a couple years ago, leading to the Widowing Massacre?"

 ** _POW!_**

Howe nursed his jaw, and shot a look at Keyon, who rubbed his fist. "What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, sparing the man who just cut through the night guard like they were nothing a reason to gut all of us by showing you DON'T speak for all of us," Keyon replied.

"Oh, I wear the whole 'Coast Reaper' thing with a badge of pride," Ugur answered. "If anything, I'm far more livid about the fact that you lot somehow managed to kill an entire group of Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirates and they most likely took whatever information Sema was after to their grave, meaning that I don't have a way to get a leg up on her, now!"

"...Oh pegasus dung," Keyon breathed, realizing there was no talking their way out of Howe's mouth this time.

"You know what, because you're in the middle of doing something that will actually help us with this war," Ugur said, "I'll let this little accident of you killing our only lead into the Ustrosi Thieves Guild slide… for now."

"Why is the Ustrosi Thieves Guild such a big deal?" Howe asked.

"That's on a need-to-know basis," Ugur said. "And you, a privateer, don't need to know, especially considering you don't have any viable information. Just hurry up and do whatever stupid mission Aksoy tasked you with. But know this, Mr. Howe… Sema's failure to secure Zrisse will be noted, thanks to you, so thanks for that. If you want to really move forward in the Empire and join a true leader's fleet, come find me after this."

Howe turned from Ugur, and focused on the lighthouse. The sole guard there was a soldier. "Okay, at this point," Howe said, "I think we can forego stealth."

"Got it," Anna said, taking her bow back from Keyon. She then shot an arrow, startling the soldier in time for Howe to charge in and hit him with the blunt side of his axe. The soldier, rather than enduring like Zrisse did when Howe fought him, collapsed in a heap. Adem looked over the wounded guard captain, and nodded.

"He'll live, but he'll have a nasty concussion like you did, Captain," Adem said after a bit. "The gods truly favored us tonight."

"I've been meaning to ask, Howe said, "but who exactly ARE the Argelian gods? Do they worship dragons or ancient genies like Orobians do?"

"We have a dragon god named Cydris," Adem answered. "Champion of the Red Winds, and a warrior. He's not exactly seen too often, but He has a close bond with the royal family of Argelia. Meanwhile, there is Musa is the Master of Mischief and Festivities in Argelia. There isn't a party without Musa somehow present. Speaking of Argelia…." He then walked into the lighthouse. Soon enough, the lights went out, signaling the Eccentric to make her approach.

Howe made his way back to the docks to guide the ship in, where the gangplank was lowered, and Sema walked out with several Argelian soldiers behind her. The captain pointed towards various parts of the city, and the soldiers fanned out. The Ustrosi soldiers, realizing how quickly they were outnumbered and out equipped, surrendered almost immediately. She then looked at Howe, a smile on her face.

"Well done, Captain," Sema congratulated him. "My people will make sure that Konunlik surrenders by dawn. I'll discuss terms with whomever is in charge, and we'll have this town into a decent staging area by the end of the week."

"Thank you, Captain Sema," Howe nodded. "We tried to keep casualties to a minimum…." At this point, Ugur walked up with a captured pegasus knight.

"Yüzbaşı Uğur {Captain Ugur}?" Sema asked, partially with disgust. "Nasıl cesaret edersem gemime sızarsın ve emirlerime karşı saldırırsın {How dare you infiltrate my ship and attack against my orders}!?"

"Kolayca {Easily}," Ugur nodded, forcing the pegasus knight to kneel. "İmparatorun sizi hangi şahsen görevlendirdiğini görmek istedim: Ustrosi Thieves Guild suçlusu alımı. Benim elimdeki görevim başarısız oldu ve bu vagon için bu Orobian asi pislik tutmak yardımcı olmak için yerleşmiş olduğunu bulmak oldu {I wanted to see what mission the Emperor personally handed you: recruiting an Ustrosi Thieves Guild criminal. What I got was to find out you failed your mission and are settling for this vagabound to help you keep these Orobian rebel scum in line}."

"(My Argelian is a little rusty,)" Howe said, whispering at his crew, "(but if I had to hazard a guess, Sema's not too happy about Ugur being here.)"

"(She's not,)" Adem translated. "(And he's also quite insulting of Orobians.)"

"(Oh, right, you can speak Argelian,)" Howe remembered. "(So I guess I don't HAVE to brush up on my Argelian if I don't want to.)"

"Unhand me, you Argelian ruffians!" the pegasus knight protested. "It's bad enough you butchered my poor Calalline and took my city! Now, what will you do!? Butcher innocent Ustrosi citizens!? Enslave us!? Both!?"

"Hm, that's a good question," Ugur said, turning to the pegasus knight. He made her look at him. "Tell you what: I'm feeling somewhat generous today. Normally, I'd have my fun with you while you watched as everything you care about burns around you, then slaughter you, then move onto any other women in the area. But today, I'll just kill you so you don't see what happens next."

"UGUR!" Sema roared, causing him to turn towards her. Howe and Ugur were both thrown off by the woman's incredibly strong glare. "You are NOT going to do another damn thing! This is MY operation that YOU interfered with! The least you can do is obey my orders!" She turned to the pegasus knight, and said, "I'm sorry that Ugur here killed your pegasus so brutally… and I'm sorry that we have to capture your town. However, we of Argelia have a goal we must achieve. If that means winning the war to do it, then we're winning the war to do it. But we're not going to be savages about it."

"...You mean that," the pegasus knight observed. "That's the first bit of mercy from you for the past two years. It won't bring back my pegasus, but… your mercy is noted."

Sema turned towards the people of Konunlik, both soldiers and civilians, as they were brought forth come the sunrise. The city's mayor was brought forth. "Please… show us mercy," he begged.

"Of course," Sema smiled. She took a stance. "People of Konunlik, listen to my words! I am Captain Sema Aksoy of the Argelian Empire. This episode was nothing personal, but your defeat and submission was necessary! You may think of the Argelian Empire as monsters from across your northern sea who slaughtered the people of Nourdari two years ago! I can't pretend that the attack was not our doing." She shot a look at Ugur. Turing to the crowd, "But let me make this clear: That is NOT the way I wage war! I won't pretend that this won't be completely bloodless, but I will try to avoid any unnecessary pain. I promise that if you surrender, your combatants will be treated fairly, as prisoners of war, and your citizens will be shown mercy! That is so much more than what my cohort here would promise you! In the days ahead, we will march forth, and we will continue to fight against Ustros until its king is willing to surrender so this senseless violence can end! If you fight, we will fight back! But if you let us march uncontested, and you and the rest of Ustros shall NOT be harmed! You have my word and my honor!"

As if to punctuate her speech, over the lighthouse of Konunlik, the flag of Argelia was raised, and the sun finished rising. She spotted Howe waiting at the side, and motioned him to follow her.

"I see you've met my source of competition in the navy," Sema addressed. "Captain Ugur. He's been at this whole 'recruiting and working with privateers' business much longer than I have in the western nations of Orobia's north. A lot of Argelia's military has infighting like this among our leadership. Some soldiers blame the caste system of Argelia and how nobles are vying for as much power as they can within it."

"Isn't the Empire supposed to be working together?" Howe asked.

"In theory, yes," Sema said. "In actuality, the Empire is so huge, we've conquered much of our home continent, and our Empress can't oversee every part of it herself. Thus we the dukes and duchesses to oversee certain areas of the empire. And under them are the various barons and baronesses, followed by their knights, the common folk, and then, as loathe as we are to admit to having them, slaves. Not every part of the empire has slaves, but there are those who do… and they're mainly genies. Habai's one of the lucky few who isn't bound."

"Sounds crazy," Howe observed. "Since you happen to be answering directly to the Emperor, you have to be someone pretty powerful in Argelia's navy."

"Well, my father IS the Duke of Aksoy, and I happen to really know Princess Kadri very well," Sema said. "If Father and my older brothers had their way, I wouldn't be here in Orobia. I'd be back home, knitting scarves, attending Father's gatherings, marrying one of my brothers' noble friends. But the sea had a far stronger calling to me, and I love seeing new places, meeting new people… and someone has to try to maintain order in a chaotic war. I just wish my family could see that I'm trying to restore peace for us all by risking my life out here."

"Well, I say you're better for coming out here," Howe said. "It allows people to admire your visage and your vision." Sema blushed. "Though if there are people like Ugur who are willing to slice up innocents and open fire at the drop of a hat, I can't help but wonder who else is in Argelia. Why is he interfering with you, specifically?"

"A few months ago, a failed mission in Upril ended with the deaths of East Admiral Enver and his entire crew, leaving a nasty power vacuum in the fleet that needs filled. He and I both are the most likely candidates for stepping in. He's trying to do everything he can to sabotage my career so he gets ahead. The whole war machine could be decided based on who becomes the Admiral."

"I've noticed he's been obsessed with getting ahead," Howe said. "He's mad that my crew and I killed Zrisse. He said something about you looking for information on the Ustrosi Thieves Guild."

"You're handsome, Sirius," Sema giggled, "but not handsome enough for me to risk my career to tell you why, yet. Still, this is the first of many victories I see in our future." Looking at the city, she said, "I can handle the rest of this for now… feel free to relax, do whatever it is want… in reason. We'll see about getting you a proper ship, I promise."

"Oh, I have one in mind," Howe said, looking back to the cutter. Sema smirked at the sight of it.

"Well, it's smaller than the _Eccentric,"_ Sema admitted while the two of them walked to it. "So it shouldn't require too many extra hands to actually sail it. I'll see about getting our new vassals to finish it for you. Of course, I'll make sure you get paid as well."

"You are the best boss I've ever had," Howe smirked.

"Well, your last boss was abusive," Sema observed. "Me? I think it works best to be motherly rather than demanding." She then said, "I should get back to things. Including getting you that ship. What are you going to name her?"

"I'm thinking the _Sabine,"_ Howe answered. "That was the name of my mother."

"Sabine Howe?" Sema remarked. "Hm… that's kind of nice. I think the ship will suit you, Captain."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And that's Howe's first mission! Yes, it's a stealth chapter. However, Howe's campaign, despite being chronologically first, WAS designed to be a lot harder than the other three. That's why I'm partially comparing Howe's campaign to _Conquest._ The other part is that he's intentionally working with the local empire, even if the end goal is Howe seeking redemption for something he sees is his fault... albeit in his own bizarre way of going about it.

Also, Howe's campaign sort of introduces things about the Argelian Empire. Other than making an entire campaign about Kiral (who is alive and we'll get back to, because he's the actual Camus of this story, horses just scare him), this was one of the few ways I could do so and let an outsider see what Imperial life is like.

Anyway, I made it somewhat easier than stealth missions of the past if you want to play it like the chapter is intended to be played... you know, like an actual stealth mission. No sense in making it too hard right off the bat. The worst is Ustros' pegasus knights. Lucky for you, Ugur shows up to make it easy for HIM to draw the aggro, and the enemies of the chapter are more likely to respond to him as long as you keep your units out of harm's way... and he tends to make it so the bell towers, your real bane of the chapter, aren't going to be reached by anyone who can make you automatically fail... because he'll kill them.

Alright, so I suppose now's a good time for answering reviews.

 **davidthemightypaladin:** Yeah, I have Aurelia. I'll have to work putting her in, but I think I can use her by Act 3. Hold me to that.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** Yeah, I wanted it to feel like you were actually playing a game. Well, thanks for letting me know what the mission objective would be for Janiya's chapter. Defend your position is an interesting mission type.

And yes... you and I talked about that commander, I believe. Hope you don't mind him and a certain other character being in Janiya's campaign... but that the commander isn't properly dealt with for a while, because Janiya's campaign is supposed to be dealing with Sizah.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Good to know I've got this spelt right. But yeah, I know how previous entries into the _Fire Emblem_ series introduce characters rather smoothly, and I wanted that. So I had Yasmin go off-screen, grab a few allies, and bring them in, including her little sister's childhood friend, Payam. I also wanted to make it clear despite Yasmin and Janiya being the royals, they still have family, and Kamyar is their uncle who was the big brother of their mother, who used to be the heroine of HER generation, and how certain characters know each other.

As for Tawni and Janiya being in the same place at the same time, yep. It's fun how characters miss each other by JUST a few moments. Luckily, at the end of Tawni's first chapter, you see Yasmin briefly stopping her from leaving to introduce herself and offer her a job. Here, you see just how it was possible Yasmin and Tawni were able to HAVE that conversation (I mean, both Yasmin and Janiya love their mother, why WOULDN'T they attend a performance in her honor?). However, I wanted to let the characters each have their own mini campaigns before getting together, so I had to move Tawni along.

 **ZenoZen:** Good question about Tawni. In her chapters, she's going to be looking into her father's secrets. He has something that he's hidden from her for her entire life. And this past comes back to haunt him in the form of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild.

 **Wandering dude 1:** The problems with doing a Google Form on the phone. The better question is why hasn't Google made that its own app alongside Sheets, Docs, Slides, and anything else you can do with Google Drive? Anyway, I got your entry.

 **Kaychains:** Actually, don't worry about interrupting the flow with these. My goal here is everyone gets a turn being played as. It's kind of similar to how I played through _Echoes: Shadows of Valentia,_ advancing the plots with Alm and Celica taking turns.

As for why Howe got more attention by readers than say Sulaiman, I'm guessing it's because Sulaiman, is just another royal prince, and we've seen quite a few of them. Howe, meanwhile is a privateer and villain protagonist, someone you don't really know too well, and sometimes people want to root for the bad guys. It helps that Howe is easily seen feeling emotionally guilty that one turn of the helm, even if it would have ended in his and everyone aboard the _Dove's_ deaths, would have given the Orobian queens a far greater chance of survival than they had. Keep in mind, one of the victims was PREGNANT. Howe's lost a lot of sleep over the incident. Meanwhile, we don't know too much about Sulaiman. Yes, that will change, soon, but I'm guessing that's why he's not popular.

 **LordOfAwesomeness23:** Well, at least he HAS a fan. And I think I got your OC. Thank you!

Alright. So, I'm going to put up another poll here, soon, since some people may be torn between Sulaiman and Tawni getting their next chapters. Who do you want to see first? Go to my profile page, and put it in! The winner gets their chapter next week! Farewell, subjects!


	8. Tawni Chapter 2: A New Offer

A/N: It seems that people like Tawni more than Sulaiman... oh well, It's more Tawni's campaign, then. And now, she's going to do a bit of digging...

* * *

 _Summary: Tawni leaves Cubes to inform her father of a new job offer by Princess Yasmin Madani. However, she finds her father, Guaril, confronted by the camp's elders over instances in the past. But before she can properly question them, she and the Romani of her caravan are attacked by a pair of brigand brothers..._

* * *

 **Tawni's Tale, Chapter 2: "A New Offer"**

 **Romani Camp, Miles Away from Cubes—Hours Later**

Tawni beamed as she, Nasira, Kareem, and Jamal approached the Romani camp. It was as lively as she remembered it being: full of people talking, laughing, and having a good time. Her people were an enduring, energetic bunch, and she loved them for it. Many of the children of the camp, especially the girls, looked up to her, the daughter of the rom baro of the caravan, making her wave at them as she pulled her camel-drawn carriage back in.

"Alright," Tawni said, getting off the carriage after stopping it. She patted the camel as thanks for it, and Calypso hopped onto her head as she turned away. "Calypso, trebuie să schimb din această rochie {Calypso, I need to change out of this dress}." The rabbit frowned, but understood. Tawni placed Calypso on the ground, who then hopped away, leaving Tawni to wave farewell to her friends and go change. Soon enough, she was in her red blouse and head scarf, gold earrings, white skirt over brown shorts, sandals, and gold necklace with purple gemstone.

She walked over to a large red and white tent in the center of the camp. She then heard voices coming from the tent. Her father said, "Înțeleg că cel puțin unul dintre dușmanii mei nu sa renunțat la mine, bătrâni {I get that at least one of my enemies haven't given up on me, Elders}."

A male voice argued, "Aceasta este subestimarea mileniului, Guaril. Ți-am spus să nu urmărești Nakia dacă vrei să devii rom baro din această caravană. O femeie ca ea nu a fost decât o problemă. {That is the understatement of the millennium, Guaril. I told you not to pursue Nakia if you wanted to become rom baro of this caravan. A woman like her was nothing but trouble}."

"Aș aprecia că nu vorbiți rău de Nakia, vârstnicul Shandor {I would appreciate you not speaking of of Nakia, Elder Shandor}," Guaril said, making Tawni worry about his tone.

"Father…?" she asked herself in a low voice. Before she could properly interject in the conversation, she heard shuffling.

"Între gândul faraonului lui Rusnad ai avut o mână în incidentul de acum cinci ani, iar problema pe care ai lăsat-o în loc să taie, siguranța caravanei este în pericol {Between Rusnad's pharaoh thinking you had a hand in the incident five years ago, and the problem you let fester instead of cut out, the safety of the caravan is in jeopardy}!" A break in his words allowed Tawni to peek in and see an old hand pointing at her father over the elders' massive black and gray plate with a purple crystal ball on top of it. "Ce anume făceai în acea noapte, Guaril !? Locația ta nu ne-a fost explicată niciodată {What exactly were you doing that night, Guaril!? Your whereabouts were never explained to us}!"

"Destul, Shandor {That's enough, Shandor}," a female voice said. "Nu este locul nostru să judecăm deciziile noastre din trecut ale lui rom baro ... și Nakia, la acea vreme, avea nevoie de ajutor {It is not our place to judge our rom baro's past decisions… and Nakia, at the time, needed help}."

"Nakia?" Tawni repeated. She knew the name: the Rusnadi queen who was among those unfortunately slain by the Argelians in the Widowing Massacre. What would a powerful queen need the help of a clan of gypsies for? She understood Princess Yasmin's request she was going to inform her father about when he stopped being busy, but this was a Rusnadi noblewoman, and Rusnad was easily the richest country in all of Orobia. How could her father know her enough to pursue her? And what did he do to earn the ire of her husband? Were the elders implying that Guaril….

"În loc să-i arătăm degetele pentru lucrurile pe care predecesorii noștri nu le-au dorit {Instead of pointing fingers at him for things our predecessors did not foresee}," a new male voice interjected, "ar trebui să-i sfătuim pe rom baro să ia o acțiune care să ne garanteze siguranța în aceste vremuri disperate {we should be advising our rom baro to take an action that will guarantee our safety in these desperate times}." There was a pause while he thought. "Armatele argeline au învins deja Ustros, deci chiar dacă Guildul ucigașilor hoții nu era o problemă, nu putem merge acolo. Upril nu va dura mult mai mult în acest război. Rusnad ar putea fi în curând copleșit, după care ... lăsându-l pe Poswa și Cruibia {The Argelian armies have already defeated Ustros, so even if the Ustrosi Thieves Guild was not an issue, we cannot go there. Upril is not going to last much longer in this war, either. Rusnad may soon be overwhelmed, afterwards... leaving Poswa and Cruibia}."

"Putem merge la Poswa {We may as well head to Poswa}," Shandor snorted. "Cu excepția câtorva plicuri de aur și a ceea ce a plătit ducele, Cubes ne-a plătit abia pentru piesa fiicei tale, Guaril {With the exception of a few handouts of gold and what the Duke paid, Cubes barely paid us for your daughter's play, Guaril}."

"Dacă credeți că rămâneți în Cruibia este rău, vârstnic {If you think staying in Cruibia is bad, Elder}," Guaril argued, "știți că Poswa este LUMINĂ pe Romani decât Cruibia {know that Poswa is WORSE on Romani than Cruibia}." He then sighed, looking up. "{Vom vorbi despre asta, mai târziu. Tawni așteaptă prea mult {We will talk about this, later. Tawni has been waiting, too long}."

Tawni backed away before she could be noticed, and snuck back far enough so she could make it look like she could be just arriving to check in on her father. She innocently waved at the Elders as they passed, waited until they were out of immediate earshot, and turned towards her father, who smirked at her, now wearing a red and gold outfit, complete with dashing red cape.

"Bună, Tată {Hi, Father}," Tawni beamed.

"How much of that did you hear?" he bluntly asked in Orobian, making Tawni's face fall. "Tawni, I am a trained professional rogue who taught you literally everything you know about being a thief. There were a lot of things that happened back in Cubes that would make you want to eavesdrop, and your movements, while subtle to the very common eye, aren't able to fool a master trickster. You're lucky that of the Elders, Shandor and Milosh don't pay too much attention to anything but the conversation that is in front of them."

"...Sorry, I'm curious," Tawni replied. "I understand some people being enemies to you… you're the rom baro of a famous Romani clan, as well as a legendary thief. If you lack enemies, you're either doing too good of a job making friends or a terrible job as a Romani. But how in all of Orobia did you make Pharaoh Ammon Mifsud of Rusnad want you dead? Did it involve Queen Nakia?" His look of shock did not go unnoticed. She then frowned and asked, "Father, did you… were you involved in the Widowing Massacre!? Did you help kill the Orobian queens!? I thought you said we're not assassins or murderers like the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, and you do something like that!?"

"No!" Guaril replied. "Gods above, no! If I had my way that evening… at least one of those deaths wouldn't have happened!" He then sighed, and said, "Look, Tawni, it's not that I don't think you're old enough to understand, it's just that… Nakia Adio is a very sore subject of mine. I'll tell you when I'M good and ready to do so."

"The Elders think you messed up by getting involved with her in the first place," Tawni replied. "To be fair, she was a Rusnadi noblewoman…."

"Not when I first met her," Guaril answered. Tawni blinked. "Again, I don't wish to talk about it, right now. Let's change the topic, please?"

"Well, I have good news," Tawni said, answering her father's request. "Before I came back, I was confronted by Crown Princess Yasmin of Cruibia."

"You what?" Guaril asked. "Tawni... did you steal something from her? I thought I told you, 'Royals are dangerous marks, especially if you get caught'."

"Father," Tawni frowned, "I'm not that reckless. Although that curious necklace of hers tempted me…." She noticed her father's disapproving eyebrow raise. "I didn't take it!" Tawni defensively raised her hands. "Anyway, Father, she came up to me asking if we were interested in a job."

"Explain," Guaril requested.

"Well, believe it or not, Princess Yasmin is soon to be married!" Tawni beamed. "To a Prince Sulaiman of Poswa…." Tawni pulled out a picture from her shirt, showing her father the boy in question… a bearded, brown skinned young man about a couple years older than her with black hair, blue eyes, wearing brown and red armor of Poswa over blue clothes, a sword at his right hip and a bow on his back. "Before you ask, she gave this to me."

"Hmm," Guaril said, taking the picture. "He's a swordsman… and a bow-user. So what, he's a bow knight?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Tawni said. "But hey, he's handsome. Also, we're getting paid for entertainment purposes, so…."

"Good point," Guaril said. "But what's this about him being handsome? And why did you have a picture of him in your shirt?"

"Father, I'm a woman of marrying age," Tawni reminded him. "Can't I have a few crushes on a prince or two? As for the picture in my bra, well, I need to fix my pouch, again." She showed her leg to reveal the damaged pouch. "I really should stop putting Calypso's food in my pouch."

"As long as you remember that I'm a slightly overprotective father who reminds you that this man is getting married to a princess," Guaril replied. "That's not even mentioning you know the stigma of western Orobian spare nobles, especially Poswali spares…."

"That's just a belief," Tawni replied. "There are plenty of good stories about legitimate heirs being just as bad, if not worse. It ultimately depends on the man's heart and his actions, not the belief of those around him, that makes a man. Prince Aseel was a greedy old man who betrayed not just his older brother, but his own sister-in-law, his nephew, and all of the people in Poswa and Cruibia when he instigated that last war, and caused Sultan Wisaam to kill King Darius' parents. Considering how in love with this man Princess Yasmin is despite him being Poswali, not to mention we haven't heard anything truly bad about him, it's safe to assume Prince Sulaiman is as kind as he is easy on the eyes, once you get to know him."

"Tawni, that is either the most idealistic belief you've ever said or the most naïve," Guaril said. "Well, either way, Tawni, you should be honored. Not every Romani personally gets asked by a princess to handle the entertainment for her wedding." A bell soon interrupted their conversation. "I'll discuss your offer with the Elders. But know that you have my vote. But we have some traveling tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Tawni said, walking ahead. "For now, it's dinner time." Guaril shook his head with a smirk while Tawni practically took off in a sprint. Once she was out of sight, he sighed.

"Nakia ... vă rog să vă iertați lașul egoist {Nakia… forgive your selfish coward}," he said, looking upward. "Tot nu-i pot spune lui Tawni despre cum vă cunoașteți unul pe celălalt {I still cannot tell Tawni about how you two know each other}."

* * *

 **Tawni's Tent—6 Hours Later**

Tawni, curled up in her small cot, was fast asleep, snoring away. However, a few lights gleamed into her tent. The lights faded, revealing a group of women wearing white cloaks to conceal themselves. _"Ești sigur că vrei să te uiți la asta {Are you all sure you wish to watch this}?"_ one of the women asked.

 _"Si dor de tine sa-ti iei sansa? Absolut nu {And miss seeing you take your chance? Absolutely not}!"_ another woman answered. _"Continuă, vorbește cu ea {Go on, talk to her}!"_

 _"We've been dead for nearly five years,"_ an older voice complained, _"and I STILL have no clue what they're saying."_

 _"That's just her, really,"_ another voice said. _"Even those with a drop of djinn blood can understand any language in the multiverse. Even ancient draconic. It helped us out a lot."_

 _"I still think we should be focusing on finding the way to the Great Beyond, instead of trying to connect like this,"_ the third voice asked. _"We're interfering with the forces of nature, and our stories are all over."_

 _"But their stories aren't,"_ the second woman said, pointing to Tawni. _"We owe SOMEONE at least one of us can connect to a warning. Who knew this was the secret one of us hid?"_

 _"And this is the first time in nearly five years we can at least try without possibly tipping off the enemy,"_ the fourth spirit said. _"Since someone FINALLY brought two gems near each other... but for it to be here? You're a magnificent witch, you know that?"_

 _"Ladies,"_ the first woman said, _"I appreciate your encouragement for more than one reason, but... please watch outside."_ At least two of the spirits were about to protest, but a glare from the first woman made them drop the topic, and all of them walked out. The spirit then approached Tawni's sleeping form, and sighed. _"Took after Guaril with snoring, I see."_ She then reached out an ethereal hand and brushed Tawni's head. _"...Something's different about this night... what is it?"_ It was at that point an ethereal Tawni emerged from the real one, wearing a white nightgown. She opened her eyes, and looked around.

 _"H... Huh...?"_ Tawni sleepily asked. _"What's going on...?"_ She looked at the woman in her tent. _"Who are you!?"_ She reached for her leg... only to see no knife, there. She then looked back at her body, and nearly shrieked. _"Am I... am I dead!?"_

 _"No, no, you're not dead,"_ the woman quickly assured her, grabbing her in a hug, and stroking her hair. Tawni calmed down. _"Your body is just asleep. But your soul is astral projecting. I take it Guaril never told you about how that works."_

 _"Father?"_ Tawni questioned. _"How do you know my father? And what do you mean by astral projecting!?"_ She then began fading. The woman sighed.

 _"You definitely don't know anything, Tawni,"_ the woman said, placing her hand on Tawni's ethereal one to calm her. Tawni gasped, but the woman placed a finger to Tawni's mouth. _"Your father's done too good of a job protecting you from things, I see. Well, I hope to Rerci Herself that he trained you as well, too. You're about to go up against some dangerous forces who will not rest until they take something he gave you. If that happens... all of Orobia, if not the world, will be in peril. I'll try to talk to you again when you grow stronger, I promise."_

 _"Oh, come now!"_ a fifth woman complained. _"Don't tell me you're going to leave it like that?"_

 _"Now don't be rude, m'lady!"_ a younger voice frowned.

Tawni looked at the five women outside her tent, and questioned, _"Okay, who ARE you all!?"_

 _"Some friends I've made,"_ the first woman sighed. _"Who are VERY nosy!"_ The youngest of the specters yelped and vanished. Three others (the second, fourth, and fifth) all giggled before vanishing as well.

 _"I'm barred from the afterlife, and I'm surrounded by children,"_ the remaining spirit outside the tent muttered. _"Am I sure I'm not in Hell?_ " Before she could get an answer, the fourth spirit showed back up.

 _"Oh come, now,"_ she said. _"We deserve to have a little fun in this state, don't we? It keeps the story interesting."_

 _"It INTERFERES with the story,"_ the third spirit argued. _"If we keep trying like this, who knows what will happen?"_

 _"Ladies,"_ the first spirit insisted. The fourth spirit grabbed the third, and both of them vanished. Turning back to Tawni, she said, _"If I was you, Tawni… I'd eventually go to Rusnad. Something is waiting for you."_

 _"But how do you know who I am?"_ Tawni asked. _"Have we met?"_

 _"...In a way, we have,"_ the spirit replied while pushing Tawni back. _"But not for a very long time."_ Tawni's vision faded as her spirit returned to her body…

And when she opened her eyes, she sat up in her bed, back in her physical form, and looked around. She didn't see the spirit woman in her tent. Tawni frowned, but closed her eyes. "A fost un fel de vis {Was that some kind of dream}?" she asked herself.

Little did she know, the woman hadn't exactly left, and was hiding behind a set of crates. _"Dacă ar fi fost doar așa, Tawni {If only it was, Tawni},"_ she whispered before fading away herself.

* * *

 **Cruibian Western Sands—32 Hours Later**

Tawni, Akiba, Nasira, Kareem, and Jamal were towards the front of the moving caravan. Due to the strong distrust of Romani, the camp more often than not found themselves on the move frequently, and thus packed rather light… as far as an entire nomadic community was concerned. Tawni was frowning at her father, who was looking behind them. When she discussed her bizarre dream, her father tensed up, but refused to discuss it, and right now did not want to go to Rusnad.

"So," Nasira asked, "where are we heading now? I can't help but notice we're going west."

"That's because since the wedding we've been invited to perform at isn't for a few months," Akiba explained, "we figured we head to Poswa to research Poswali traditions. Also, we'll get a chance to practice our craft there. And then, when we're done, we'll probably head north once Tawni wears Guaril down, just to see how bad the war really is. Hopefully, we won't run into the infamous _Sabine_ captain."

"Interesting," Nasira smiled. "So, what's Poswa like, Miss Akiba?"

"...It's rougher than Cruibia," Akiba confessed. "For years, Poswa and Cruibia had been at each other's throats. The western nation views its eastern counterpart as too harmonious and plentiful, while Cruibia thinks of Poswa as too stubborn with its beliefs and old traditions that have made it to the modern day… that spare princes are inherently evil or at the least overly ambitious, that strength is everything, and how greedy nobles can backstab their way to jockey for positions of power and be it okay, while when spare nobles get their positions out of emergency, everyone panics. Sure, Prince Aseel was a terrible man, but they forget about his grandfather Sultan Gilezh, a spare who DIDN'T turn out to be the monster they feared."

"Miss Akiba?" Nasira asked.

"Oh, sorry, my dislike of Poswa's hypocrisy is showing," Akiba admitted.

"You recall the play we were doing about the legend of Queen Minoo?" Tawni chimed in. "About thirty years ago, before either of us were born, the last Sultan, Wisaam, had lost his own Sultana to violence. At the time, the only evidence suggested she was murdered by none other than the royal family of Cruibia themselves."

"There was very little evidence that Cruibia had anything to do with Sultana Ilhaam was killed by King Darius' parents!" Akiba frowned.

"Mother, please… we know it's not Cruibia's way to seek battles," Tawni said. "Or take revenge. But Crown Prince Darius forgot that when Sultan Wisaam killed his parents in front of him, only sparing him out of not wanting children's blood on his hands. Darius swore revenge, and that's the last war before Argelia attacked Orobia started. But Wisaam, rather than fight the enraged Darius himself, left the fighting to his eldest son, Crown Prince Mecca. The two had met on the battlefield multiple times, but neither one could best the other. And then, Minoo and her allies made it back to Cruibia for Minoo to confront Darius about the draft and the war, all while being chased by a great evil. Minoo managed to defeat Darius with quick skills and impressed him enough with the power of familial love for her elder brother… you may know him as Duke Kamyar."

"Oh!" Nasira gasped. "You mean Duke Kamyar was drafted by the Cruibian army, but Minoo was worried because of his condition…?"

"Yes, and that Prince Darius was losing his way," Tawni answered.

"Speaking of losing our way, Tawni," Kareem spoke up, "is it just me, or… is something off about the road ahead?" Tawni looked ahead, and spotted how one of the passes up ahead were blocked off, leaving just another pass available. Guaril stepped forward, and motioned Tawni to stop the caravan.

"...Everybody grab your weapons," Guaril suggested, reaching for his sword while Tawni reached for her repatched knife pouch on her leg. "Something about this screams 'trap'."

All of the sudden, a panicked scream echoed. The group of Romani looked to see a young man, about 16, standing barely taller than Tawni, with teal hair, an X-shaped scar on his right cheek, and innocent brown eyes, wearing a red fez hat and a purple vest over a white undershirt and white pants, running towards them. He had a panicked look on his face. The fact that he was being pursued by a pair of ugly looking berserkers helped to explain that. Guaril raised an eyebrow at the brigands chasing the poor boy, but sighed, knowing that he was going to get involved.

The boy stopped when he saw that he had run into a band of gypsies. "Uh-oh," he breathed. "From bad to worse…!"

"I swear, boy," the rom baro said, "we're a lot nicer than those guys, right there." The two berserkers walked up to them, and Tawni, Jamal, Kareem, and Akiba had already gotten off the cart, the two boys having gotten atop of camels with Jamal holding a lance and Kareem a sword.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Tawni curtsied. "We're on our way out of Cruibia. Would you be so kind as to let us pass on?"

"Well… I'll be, Viva," one of the berserkers grinned. "Here we were trying to chase down a slave for the boss in a pincer move, but instead, we catch a group of gypsies! A happy accident, wouldn't you agree, Viva?"

"I'll agree, Vova," the other berserkers nodded. "Didn't Mawdood raise the bounty on dead or enslaved gypsies again?"

"He did, he did," the first berserkers, Vova, agreed. "Now, Viva, that would on its own set us for life, but is that man there a trickster?"

"I don't know, Vova," the second man, Viva, shrugged. "Other than Mawdood himself, I haven't seen too many gypsy tricksters. You know how tricky they are."

"There's a gypsy trickster named 'Mawdood'?" Tawni asked aloud. "What Romani clan is he from? And why would he put a bounty on fellow gypsies?"

"Probably to eliminate the competition, ma'am," the panicked boy replied.

"We true Romani don't go out of our way to kill our kind," Tawni said with a frown. "We protect our fellow Romani."

"That's why they call them tricksters, Viva," Vova reasoned, ignoring the Dighton clan's conversation. "And gypsy tricksters are supposed to be especially crafty. But there's only one in all of Orobia who's ever rivaled Mawdood."

"And whose that, Vova?" Viva asked.

"I do believe the man's name was Guaril, Viva," Vova answered. He then turned to the group of gypsies, and asked, "Hey, know that the two of us and our men are going to either kill or enslave you all, anyway, but is your trickster there named 'Guaril'? We kind of want him alive to hand over to our boss. Our boss will probably want to personally torture him to death over some incident about 20 years back, but hey, at least we're honest about it."

"That doesn't make it any easier," Kareem replied.

"Twenty years back?" Tawni asked. "If I remember the caravan's history, almost twenty years ago, they were in Rusnad..."

"Didn't they say they had us in a pincer move?" Jamal asked. Tawni looked back to the way they were going, and spotted on the clear path some hints of movement. It didn't take long to discover that there were more brigands in the hills.

"Oh no... we're trapped," Tawni breathed, flicking her dagger up.

"Damn it," Guaril frowned. "I was hoping for a nice trip, not running into the Ustrosi Thieves Guild!"

"The Ustrosi Thieves Guild?" the boy asked. "Oh… well that IS a lot worse than gypsies! At least you'd steal my money… if I had any, and let me live! These guys will gut some of us for fun and sell the rest!"

"Yeah," Tawni shuddered. "Father told me to never let myself be caught by them… and yet, here I am, um… I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"...If I tell you my name's Himli, would you use it in some kind of evil curse?" the boy asked while Nasira finally got down to help.

"I wouldn't," Tawni replied. "Nasira might."

"No I wouldn't!" Nasira playfully waved off. "I'd use it in a GOOD curse!"

"My name's Tawni, by the way." Turning to her father, she spotted him in a fighting stance, and said, "Father, we can't just fight our way out of this! We risk the caravan!"

Guaril looked back at the caravan, and noticed the elderly, the children, and the women who weren't combat trained were afraid. Guaril gritted his teeth, and said, "You're right, Tawni… we don't have time to fight them all. We DO however, have to fight. The question is, of course… which way?"

Tawni looked at the path with more bandits. Those guys didn't look as strong as the pair of purple-haired yet muscular berserker brothers in front of her… although there were more of them. "How about we go the way we were going?"

"What?" Himli asked. "Isn't that putting us in MORE danger than fighting those two?"

"I know," Tawni said. "In terms of numbers, yes. But lucky for you, Himli, you ran into a band of gypsies who know their way around a fight or two. Kareem, Jamal, I'm going to need those muscles of yours!"

"Yes, rom baro's daughter!" Kareem grinned. "Anything for a lovely lady like yourself!"

"And a lot less of your flirting," Tawni continued, making Kareem sigh.

"Right," Jamal nodded, brandishing his iron lance. "We'll help carve a path for the caravan!" He then looked at Himli, and said, "Hey… care to help? I have a spare lance."

"Um… I'm not much of a fighter," Himli confessed.

"Neither am I, but I do my best," Jamal answered, holding out a bronze lance. "But Himli… I know you're afraid. I am always a bit afraid, too… but my brother here, Tawni, and rest of these people count on me. I bet you have people who count on you, as well, right?"

"...I do," Himli confessed. "But these bandits rounded a lot of them up for the slavers. Mom, Dad, and sisters were among them."

"Then help us retreat for now," Jamal said. "And I'll try to convince the rom baro to help."

"You've already convinced me, boy," Guaril smirked. "Go on, kid, grab the lance… now stay close, and we'll help you get through this."

"O… Okay," Himli nodded, grabbing the lance.

"Alright, people, you heard Tawni," Akiba said. "We're going to clear an escape route! When it's taken care of, run!" Tawni, Guaril, and Akiba turned to face the brigands to the west, Tawni noting that among them was a mage.

"Oh no, a magi is with them?" Himli asked.

"Don't worry," Tawni beamed, holding her knife. "Did you know that gypsies aren't exactly easy to curse?" As if to prove her point, the spell cast at her, a Fire spell, didn't do much more than singe a few clothes. Tawni countered with a knife throw, weakening him. "Now, you hit him!" she instructed.

"Uh… okay!" Himli agreed, rushing up and slashing the mage with the lance. As the mage died, Himli shook. Tawni placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's never easy," she assured him. "But you have to keep moving, okay?"

"Um… alright," Himli agreed. "I've just never… really killed a person before, not even in self-defense. It's kind of unsettling."

"Understandable," Jamal said, riding over while Nasira blasted a foe with her wind magic. "A lot of us wish it was otherwise, but… sometimes, we're not given a choice other than to fight to protect what we care about."

"Hey, Jamal!" Kareem called, slashing down an axe-wielding barbarian. "If you're finished being encouraging, could you hurry up and bring your lance this way!? These guys don't know when to quit!"

"Îți poți alege prietenii, dar nu poți alege familia ta {You can pick your friends, but you can't pick family}," Jamal sighed. "Sorry, have to help my brother. Tawni?"

"I got it," Tawni nodded, letting Jamal go on ahead. "Try to stay close, okay?" Himli nodded, and followed Tawni while Guaril and Akiba were at the front of the escape path. Akiba was busy blocking many of the blows, allowing the group some breathing room while the caravan advanced, while Guaril stopped to heal her and the camel-riding brothers with his Mend staff that he was carrying around. Eventually, there was a lot less living bandits to contend with, with Tawni and Akiba having taken down a few more with Himli's help.

"Alright, people!" Guaril called. "Sa mergem {Let's go}!" The caravan was soon evacuated while Tawni's group stayed behind to make sure the carts got through, taking down any brigands that got too close. Once the last cart was out, the able-bodied gypsies (and Himli) sprinted down the road path, with a group of brigands after them.

"Aw, they got away, Viva," Vova sighed.

"I'm sorry, Vova," Viva said. "I got so distracted by the dreams of gold we'd get for bringing these gypsies in that I forgot to actually try to bring the gypsies in. Especially that pretty young one…."

"You mean the blonde one, Viva?" Vova asked. "If that's the case, I don't blame you at all for getting distracted. Did you see her magical skill? As well as her body?"

"Well, she's pretty, too, Vova," Viva confessed. "But I was thinking the black and blue-haired one. She was amazingly beautiful."

"...Hey, Viva?" Vova questioned. "I know we're supposed to be working exclusively for Mawdood, but doesn't that blue hair and her figure look a tad familiar?"

"Yeah, I guess it does, Vova," Viva nodded. "She looks just like a younger version of the pharaoh's late wife."

"That's what I thought, too, Viva," Vova beamed. "You know what that means, right, Viva?"

"I do believe I know, Vova," Viva said. "Why sell her to Mawdood as a slave when we could ransom her for ourselves? We could have a nice castle to call our own, build it on the border of Cruibia and Ustros, charge people an extravagant fee to cross it. We'd never have to work again!"

"Agreed, agreed," Vova nodded.

"Now, question before we pursue them," Viva said. "What about the rest of the slaves we took from that village a ways back?"

"We should probably send them to Slavemaster Esmaeel," Vova shrugged. "That boy we let get away asked the gypsies to help him free his family. We should probably let Esmaeel know they're coming for him, and let him in on the plan."

"What makes you so sure he won't rat us out to Mawdood, Vova?" Viva asked.

"Would Mawdood warn him that a band of gypsy mercenaries are coming for his head, or let him suffer on his own, Viva?" Vova questioned.

"I suppose Mawdood WOULD let him die if it meant drawing out that Guaril fellow," Viva admitted. "Speaking of which, those gypsies never did our question about if Guaril was among them."

"Well, that trickster did display quite a bit of skill like Mawdood did, Viva," Vova noticed. "I think that means one thing… he was Guaril."

"So he was, Vova," Viva nodded. "So he was. Now, shall we chase him?"

"We shall," Vova grinned, and the two brothers ran off after the gypsy caravan.

* * *

 **Poswali Abandoned Mines—Approximately 5 Hours Later**

"Father," Tawni complained, "do we really have to hide in here?" Even though the cavern was rather well-lit and warm (mainly because of the fires that were lit) for a quartz mine, the young gypsy woman was shivering. After escaping the battlefield, the caravan was led by Himli into a nearby cave system. The poor villager explained that his family used to be quartz miners, so he knew these tunnels. However, Tawni seemed to be a tad on edge since coming in here… and Akiba, using a surprising amount of strength, blocked the tunnel's entrance so the brigands that followed them wouldn't be able to find them.

Kareem asked, "What's wrong, Tawni? We made sure there's plenty of sight distance. We're safe, here!"

"Yeah, but we're in a CAVE," the gypsy replied.

"Technically, Miss Tawni," Himli said, "it's a mine."

"Well, my point here is we're in an underground area," the young woman complained. "It's not exactly kicking my phobia of being… you know."

"Buried alive?" Jamal asked.

"There you go!" Tawni admitted. "I really don't like this place!" Akiba, seeing her foster daughter's concern, walked over, handed her the pet rabbit, and brushed her hair. "...Thank you, Mother."

"It's the least I can do, Tawni," Akiba said while Tawni tended to Calypso.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Himli said, "but it was the only safe place I could think of to regroup."

"And regroup we shall," Guaril said. "So, Himli, right? We have some time to kill before we can safely go back out there. While Akiba is calming Tawni down, you share your story? Tawni likes those aplenty."

"My story?" Himli asked. "Well, there isn't much to ask about me. I'm just a simple miner boy from Poswa. We heard about the royal wedding coming up, and even if it was Prince Sulaiman, my folks said we should at least pay our respects to him. So the whole village decided to get ready to head to Serirly, where the wedding will take place… but we got ambushed by those bandits. I was one of the only ones able to get away. My Pa, Ma, and big sisters were taken."

"Interesting," Kareem said. "You really should have led with the sisters…."

"Nasira?" Guaril asked.

"Yes, sir!" the dark mage smiled. Her fist glowed with a slight bit of wind magic, and she smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Kareem groaned. "What was that for?"

"For interrupting the young man," Guaril replied.

"The magic part was for trying to convince Himli that you'd help for a chance to bed his older sisters," Nasira added.

"He what now?" Himli asked, sending a glare at Kareem. The red-clad camel rider gulped at the surprisingly intimidating glare the villager gave him. Himli turned back to Guaril, and said, "Look… I don't exactly have too much money I could give you, but… please, help me save my family, at least." He bowed his head, and said, "Please! Find it in your hearts to help me!" Guaril scratched his chin, and looked at Tawni, who gave her father a concerned look.

"Well, you really lucked out, kid," Guaril said. "Not only did you happen to run into a nice yet talented band of gypsies, but you ran into one who is led by someone who draws the line at slavery." Guaril stood up while Himli looked up at him. "Of course, though, you will have to pull your weight a bit."

"You mean do some more fighting?" Himli asked, nearly panicked.

"You have to be ready to protect those who you care about," Guaril answered. "...The first time I nearly didn't, I almost lost someone. The second time I didn't fight, I definitely did. I don't want you to go through life in the same way. Besides, despite being a bit shaky there, you handled your first battle quite smoothly. Now, we need to discuss where those bandit brothers would send their captives…."

"How about to whoever that Mawdood guy was?" Tawni spoke up. Guaril turned to his daughter again. "They repeatedly mentioned him… and Father, they were playing on taking YOU to this Mawdood man, who is a gypsy."

"That is a long story, but I don't think these guys send their captives directly to Mawdood," Akiba intervened for her husband. "No… most slaves I've rescued had to have been broken, first. That's where a slavemaster comes in."

"A slavemaster?" Jamal asked. "Well, slavery's not exactly shown to be legal here in southern Orobia. Not that it's stopped people. But I digress, Lady Akiba. Where are we going to find a slavemaster, here?"

"Well, that's what we're going to have to ask about," Guaril grinned. "Now, then… I'll talk to the elders about this next move. Who knows? Tawni, you may be able to discuss Poswali wedding traditions while we're in town next time."

"Anything to get out of here before the tunnel collapses and we're all… buried alive," Tawni said with a shudder. "I'll go gather my things. Calypso?" The rabbit followed her as she went to her tent.

"Um, sir… if you don't mind me asking," Himli said, "why doesn't your daughter like the underground?"

"Tawni, when she was a little girl," Guaril said, "had gotten lost. It was during a heavy rain season, so she ran into a cave to avoid getting sick, thinking to stay only at the mouth of it. However, the cave floor was damp… and she slipped, stumbling in, and landing in thick quicksand. Being a little girl, she panicked as she was sinking into it. Akiba managed to find and save her, but the fear of being underground, swallowed by dirt, stayed with her."

"Oh… well, that explains that," Himli frowned. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Akiba said. "We all have our stories, Himli. Sometimes, we're a bit afraid to share them. But for now, at least, welcome to the caravan. Get some rest… we have a busy day ahead of us."

"Very well," Nasira nodded. "The dark spirits of the Dream Realms call to me, anyway. Good night!" The dark mage skipped away.

"Alright," Jamal said. "We'll get things in order." Jamal, Kareem, and Himli all walked off, leaving the rom baro and his wife. Guaril was about to leave for their tent when his wife grabbed his wrist.

"You have to tell Tawni, Guaril," Akiba remarked. "You know Mawdood and Nakia better than I do."

"...I don't have to tell Tawni anything, yet," Guaril replied.

"Guaril, the prejudiced slavers that ruined the play? The bandit brothers from today? That's twice in the past forty-eight hours that somebody's drummed up your past. I think for her sake more than anything else that you need to inform your daughter about your past. Including how you met her birth mother."

"Why would I send her down that path?" Guaril asked.

"Because if she's going to be able to protect herself from Mawdood," Akiba answered, "she needs to know everything about your past. That's including which enemies she inherited from you."

"...Soon, then," Guaril promised. "After we deal with these Ustrosi Thieves Guild bandits." Akiba let him go, and she sighed as she watched her husband leave.

"Nakia, I can only hope he loosens his tongue for Tawni," she said. "Could you give him a little strength when they finally talk? I'd appreciate that…."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So, yeah, now Tawni has a mini-objective on top of her regular objective (finding out just what her father is hiding about her, and why it matters in the grand scheme of things): rescuing Himli's family from Ustrosi Thieves Guild slavers. Speaking of Himli, yes, the Villager class returns! Himli uses lances, similar to _Awakening_ and _Fates'_ villagers... yeah, I like Donny, he's my favorite first gen character from _Awakening_ whose not Chrom, Cordelia, or female Robin, deal with it. Villagers are another super versatile unit in the fact that they have multiple options for promotion, being either Merchants for bows and access to your convoy and grinding gold, Sentinels for lance focus and allowing them access to Impale, Heroes to drop lances entirely for swords and axes, or Janissaries... you know, Kiral's class. But for the Cain and Abel archetypes, you have Kareem and Jamal, both camel-riding cavaliers. Jamal has a higher lance rank, while Kareem has a higher sword rank. You know how Cavaliers, work, they can become Great Knights or Paladins.

Now, about the chapter itself, here. Tawni coming to meet her father, only to find he's having a meeting with the clan's elders, discussing... someone from their past, and how Guaril's mistakes about certain people, which includes the late Queen Nakia of Rusnad, has put the clan in jeopardy. Although Guaril is quick to deny he was involved in the Widowing Massacre, he's somewhat suspicious, and seems to know way too much about Nakia for it to be okay.

Now, about that middle point in the chapter before the action sequence: I'm not going to lie to anyone, here, that was literally the last part I wrote for this. However, I realized that once people realized that in Janiya's campaign, Tawni somehow triggered Yasmin's power of foresight, they would question "Why" and "What did Tawni get from this"? And here's your answer: Tawni has something that allows her to project her spirit, something that Guaril gave her but never explained. It, in a way, makes her a foil to Yasmin, whose a royal with a special psychic power from a relic given to her by her queenly mother (who used to be a commoner) that was explained to her, but had difficulty activating, while Tawni is a commoner who was given a power from something by her poor father (who still is a master trickster) that wasn't explained at all, but she can unconsciously activate.

Finally, the action sequence occurs, and you find out from the bandit brothers whose dialogue a certain someone had WAY too much fun writing more about one of the Big Bads of the setting: Mawdood. Yeah, you know how _Night of Tales_ is an _Arabian Nights_ themed _Fire Emblem_ story? You know how the first three stories most people think of when they hear "Arabian Nights" are "Alibaba and the Forty Thieves", "The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor", and "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp"? Well, Mawdood is the Thief King of Orobia by leading the Thieves Guild. I know, traditionally, _Fire Emblem_ big bads are either dudes in bulky armor seeking to conquer the continent, master sorcerers who wish to resurrect the local evil dragon/god, or aforementioned local evil dragon/god who wants revenge on mankind for not letting them have their way, while the local bandit leader is dealt with rather quickly. Unfortunately for Orobia in comparison to other nations, it's bandit problem has always been high, especially in Ustros, and it's gotten so bad that Mawdood's like, "Hold my beer", and decide to try to BECOME a big bad.

Also, he apparently has unfinished business with Guaril. Too bad Viva and Vova are too strong together to take on. It's in fact a skill they have: if they're in range of each other, and someone damages them, they get a small boost in strength. If you actually manage to kill one of them, that will be one of the shortest lived victories you will have. So yeah, you have to play the objective and get Tawni's caravan out of there.

Well, onto the few reviews I got for this chapter.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, Howe was second in the poll, so that's why. But I wanted to introduce Ugur as "the vicious asshole he has to contend working with". Luckily, he's smarter than he looks, which works for Sema. He may be a martial lord whose willing to get blood on his hands if it means people can be safe, but Howe draws the line at killing innocents, and realizes that the Ustrosi army here is, for the most part, doing their jobs. Which is why if he and Sema can take towns without too much trouble, they'll do it. Otherwise, Howe takes the kids' gloves off.

 **ZenoZen:** Well, Piper and Sema both DO have crushes on Howe, Sema at this point for his looks, while Piper's known Howe for at least two years. Anna, meanwhile, at least claims she doesn't have a crush, and that was another Anna that Howe had comfort sex with. But however, he's the only "lord" besides Sigurd and Chrom who can confirm they aren't virgins by the end of their stories. But enough about Howe's harem protagonist shenanigans, because you're right that Argelia is very loosely based Ottoman Empire. Heck, if Hoshido is allowed to have Mikoto serve as its ruler in _Fates_ and Emmeryn from _Awakening,_ AND Elincia and Sanaki from _Path of Radiance_ are allowed to be rulers despite being women (when most medieval/feudal societies believed that ruling is typically a male thing), I felt having an Empress being the ruler of the local Empire would be an interesting change of pace. But we don't really know much about her consort, Nika, to make any assumptions. Still, I'm glad you're interested in my world building, especially with the empire.

As for Xuhua and Nobunaga's Siege, there's a history there how Howe's grandfather stopped Xuhua. Yeah, Howe has some enemies.

 **Ike:** Again, more people wanting to know about the world. I'll just say this, now: I'm predicting that future _Fire Emblem_ games will somehow include some place that is a reference to eastern Asian culture, specifically feudal Japan. Considering the fact that the original "Aladdin the Magic Lamp" was in fact a Chinese story before being added to the _Arabian Nights_ and given a fresh coat of paint that we're all familiar with, it felt it appropriate to continue that tradition here, with a place that's pretty much Japan. It's to the far east of Orobia's mainland, and south of Argelia. Seeing that there WAS an Emperor of Japan once upon a time, I felt it appropriate to include the idea of an Emperor. And even though the real Oda Nobunaga was a War Lord over a real Emperor, Nobunaga was the first name I thought of in terms of a Japanese feudal lord conqueror. The exact circumstances of Novan Howe defeating him, however, will be properly addressed in Howe's next chapter.

As for Aseel's War, hoo boy... that will addressed in Sulaiman's next chapter, really. Speaking of which, that will be actually next time! Farewell, my subjects!


	9. Sulaiman Chapter 2: A Proposal

A/N: Well, last, but not least, is Prince Sulaiman. Also, you get to meet a certain someone that was mentioned in the main prologue AND Sulaiman's first chapter... and Janiya's first chapter. Oh well, here goes.

* * *

 _Summary: Sulaiman's sudden departure from the courtyards after the victory in the tournament has not gone unnoticed. His retainer, Lamia, has left in pursuit. However, Duke Zahar Botros' people did not take defeat in stride... all except one._

* * *

 **Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 2: "The Proposal"**

 **Tanuhah Castle, Spare Royal Wing... 10 Minutes After the Tournament**

Lamia ran down the hall, hoping to catch up to Sulaiman with her staff in hand. "He can't have gotten that far ahead, could he?" the cleric asked. "I get it, it's his and Princess Yasmin's hawk Ebony, meaning that the princess has responded to his last message. But he should at least look decent, not like he just limped off a stretcher."

She was interrupted by a thrown iron lance embedding itself into the wall next to her, making her stop and nearly scream. She then looked to see a few Poswali soldiers… more than likely loyal to Duke Zahar, and all upset that their boss lost his wager. While the cleric was terrified, she tried to keep a firm head.

"What in the name of Rerci Herself do you think you people are doing!?" Lamia asked. "I could have been impaled by that!"

"By the time we're through with you, cleric," one of the soldiers, this one a mercenary, confessed, "it might have been better for you if you WERE impaled."

"You see, normally making Duke Zahar look like a fool is not a good idea," another soldier, this one being a rogue, said. "But helping a certain future problem for Poswa do it? That's just stupid."

"So yeah," a fourth soldier, this one a female mage said. "So we're going to take his sword back… and keep you as a prize for him, hope he promotes us."

"Our deal was that if Sulaiman bested that Nail champion that I wouldn't have to work for him AND I could give that sword to whomever I chose!" Lamia recalled. "You attacking me here is in clear violation of those terms! And it's too late for you to take back the sword... Sulaiman has it!"

"And you working for that spare prince isn't just as distasteful?" the rogue pointed out. "How many evil spare princes in Poswali history do I need to mention, or should I just say the late Prince Aseel?"

"Prince Sulaiman is a lot different than his great-uncle Aseel," the purple-haired cleric scowled. "Sulaiman's never considered the crown of Poswa, nor does he have an ambition for taking over Orobia! If anything, Sulaiman channels his great-grandfather!"

"But does he really lack the ambition?" the mercenary said. "Or is he WAY too patient for us to notice? For someone with no ambition to rule, he knows a great deal about politics, more than he really should for a spare, and he tries to be awfully close to his father. Too close for my lord's liking. I'm thinking Sulaiman needs prodding for the real monster to come out. Like, say… us finding out who his secret admirer is? Maybe he's conspiring with them to usurp his father and brother!"

"Who Prince Sulaiman writes to is HIS business, not yours," Lamia scowled. "And I assure you, he has NO plans in the immediate future to rule Poswa."

"Oh, we'll see about that," the soldier said, grabbing her, and holding his lance to her neck.

"U-Unhand me, you filthy cretin!" Lamia called out.

"What's going on, here!?" a male voice yelled. Lamia looked behind her in time to see Sulaiman, still injured, running down to see the scene. Her brief moment of joy was interrupted by the soldier grabbing her, turning her around, and holding her with the wooden handle of his lance pressed against her neck. "Lamia!"

"Well, well, if you speak of the devil," the soldier smirked. "Time to see who you really are, 'm'lord'." Looking at Lamia, he said, "Watch as your liege sells you out."

"Lord Sulaiman!" Lamia breathed.

"I'm not sure what you're doing," Sulaiman scowled, "but you have until the count of three to let go of Lamia."

"Pretending you care for her is rather unbecoming of you, prince," the female mage scoffed. "We all know who you really are: a heartless monster waiting to be unleashed. Which is exactly why you're going to let her die just to prove our point."

"One," Sulaiman counted. "Two…."

"Stop trying to be threatening," the rogue replied. "If you attack us, we'll just kill her." Sulaiman clenched his fist, and then relaxed it.

"...What do you want in exchange for her safety?" the spare prince asked.

"Y… are you serious?" the mage questioned. "You actually CARE about this servant of yours!?"

"She's one of my oldest friends," Sulaiman answered. "Of course I care! Lamia may be my retainer, but I can't forget the amount of years she and I have spent side-by-side. You can hurt me however you like… but leave her out of this."

"Lord Sulaiman, you're already seriously injured from the tournament!" Lamia said. "Not even you can last long against Zahar's thugs like you are!"

"Shut-up, wench!" the soldier growled, pressing harder to cut off Lamia.

"I said leave her out of this!" Sulaiman commanded.

"That's not for me to decide," the soldier chuckled. Sulaiman was about to ask what the soldier meant. However, he was interrupted by the sounds of several feet moving, revealing there were more of Zahar's people in hiding.

"Truth be told," the mage woman said, "these boys wanted to take turns with your cleric, but we all would LOVE to take a swing at you. You let them have at you, and maybe they'll all be convinced to leave your cleric be." Sulaiman sighed.

"...I need your word," he said. "You vow to release Lamia, and you and your men can all take turns getting a hit in, no consequence. Swear to me, right now."

"Our word?" the mercenary scoffed. "You think you can negotiate that easily!? That we'd vow to just settle for beating you!? We said 'maybe' we wouldn't have at her! No… we're going to put you in your place, you arrogant spare! And then, after we take that sword of his back, we're going to take this cleric to her new master!"

"I didn't think they would, either," a gruff voice familiar to both the prince and the cleric shrugged. Before the soldier could say or do anything, a thrown hand axe slammed into his back, killing the soldier and releasing Lamia. Nail, still just as battered as his battle with Sulaiman, walked in with Idris and Barack.

"Nail?" Sulaiman asked.

"What are you doing here, Zahar's champion?" Lamia asked. "Not to sound ungrateful, but… why did you come to our aid!?"

"I respect your spunk and dedication," Nail grinned, pulling out an iron axe. "Also, the Prince here was a worthy opponent. I'd hate to see him get thrashed because he couldn't fight back." He then said, "Well? You want to start cracking skulls, or should I?"

"...Three," Sulaiman answered, pulling out his new sword, Taryn. The sword seemed to gleam in his hand, and seemed to vibrate to the soldiers around him.

Lamia, now that she was free, looked at Sulaiman, and said, "Wait… Lord Sulaiman, you're still injured from before! I should heal you, at least!" She waved her staff, which healed Sulaiman from his earlier wounds.

"Thank you, Lamia," Sulaiman nodded. He then turned to a nearby barbarian and slashed him down with Taryn, the powerful sword making quick work of him, hitting with an incredible tremor that sent his body flying and shook everyone else in the immediate area but Sulaiman.

"By Rerci..." Lamia breathed, getting up. "That sword... could it really be the legendary earth elemental blade?"

"Lamia, what about Nail?" Sulaiman asked her.

"I'll be fine," the allied barbarian grinned, pulling out a Concoction and taking a swig of it. As he felt a lot better thanks to the potion, he said, "I'll hold on if you do."

"Lamia, when you get the chance, please heal him properly," Sulaiman requested, parrying the blade of the mercenary, causing another small quake that caused his body to shake. "I don't want anybody dying on my watch."

"Yes, m'lord," Lamia agreed. Idris, meanwhile, spotted the mage charging her spell, and brandished a real dagger this time around. He threw it at the woman, slashing in her arm and throwing off her concentration, resulting in her shooting off an unfinished Thunder spell into a poor, unsuspecting knight that was giving Barack trouble. This allowed the older great knight to knock his quarry down with his axe and take his lance.

"This will be sufficient," the combat instructor said, twirling the lance around, and using it to defeat a different mercenary.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman and Nail were wrecking the group of Zahar's soldiers, covering for each other. "Thanks for your support, Nail," Sulaiman said, slashing a different barbarian down, the slash actually becoming more controlled this time and NOT sending an earthquake... a sign Sulaiman was finally getting starting to get used to the new sword.

"I'm sure you'd probably do the same, princeling," Nail shrugged, chopping down a knight that had tried to attack him. "You seem to be the type. By the way, I have something that might interest you… I heard that you like bows over swords?" He then handed Sulaiman an iron bow, as well as a quiver.

"Thank you," Sulaiman said, taking the bow and quiver full of arrows, notching one and firing it into a knight that was trying to sneak up on Idris. Nail then came and finished the knight off. Idris, meanwhile, focused on the mage, knocking her down. After her defeat, the group of remaining Zahar loyalists surrounded the five.

"You deserve worse than what the lot of you are going to get, you spare bastard," the mage spat from the ground.

 **"** **ENOUGH!"** a male voice echoed, followed by a giant red magic circle erupting beneath them. Everyone in the hall was suspended in midair, and looked to see a man, about 5 years older than Sulaiman, with the same browned skin and blue eyes as him, but with black hair and a clean face, pointed ears with small earrings hanging off them, and his eyes were glowing with magic. He wore a white shirt and matching pants under a red vest, a silver circlet on his forehead, and a long white cape behind him. His right hand was held out, signaling that he was the caster of this particular spell.

"Aladdin?" Sulaiman asked. The older man lowered his hand, dispensing the magic circle, causing everyone to just fall to the ground, earning many groans.

"Lord Aladdin," the mage breathed, scrambling to a knee. "We were just looking out for you! You see, your brother had just—"

"Won a tournament held in the vanity of our nation's nobles by entering in it himself," the man, Crown Prince Aladdin Nejem, said. "And you all, more than likely prompted by Duke Zahar's sore losing, which is going to prock quite the discussion and interfere with my schedule later, decided to assume Sulaiman was preparing to challenge me for Poswa's throne, and tried to teach him a lesson to earn favor with me? Is that what happened?"

"That's one way to put it," Nail said, getting up and dusting himself off while Sulaiman helped up Lamia, Idris straightened his clothes out, and Barack tended to his camel. "Don't forget trying to have their way with his healer." Lamia nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, random barbarian who broke in here," Aladdin nodded. "Just for that and your aid, I'm willing to overlook your involvement in this incident."

"...My lord, we meant no disrespect to you or your abilities, but many strong heir princes had underestimated their spare younger siblings before, nearly costing them Poswa in the past. His victory today could be the start of something, tomorrow. What if the common folk rally with him, and some nobility decide to place their faith in him instead of you!?"

"Sulaiman winning a tournament doesn't mean that he, in the case it was to happen, would be ready to fight me for the throne right this instant," Aladdin said. "Being a sore loser doesn't help your master's case. If anything, it could provoke civil war, which is the last thing Poswa needs right now. Sulaiman, of all people, knows that we're at war with the Argelian Empire, and a succession crisis would be ill timed while Argelia is mere months away from finishing off the northern nations. If he wishes to challenge me... it would be only AFTER Argelia is defeated. If anything, right now, he wants some damn respect from Poswa's elite. It's a pity that people like you and Duke Zahar are making it a waste of ALL of our time." He turned away from her. "Now, normally, I'd see all of you executed for your brazen assault on a member of the royal family and his staff… in the palace, no less. But, seeing as Duke Zahar already lost plenty of people because of this breach in incompetence, and my brother was the target of this, I will let him decide your fate."

"Thank you, brother," Sulaiman said, finishing checking over Lamia. He smiled when he was sure she was okay, earning a small smile back from her as she adjusted her glasses, and turned to Aladdin. "Seeing as they didn't actually succeed in killing my retainers, my mentor, Nail, and I, I've decided that I won't kill them." Sending a glare at the mage woman, he added, "But I'm not going to let them go, either. I want the lot of them taken to the dungeons and held for trial. If Duke Zahar dislikes it, well, they attacked Lamia, first."

"...Interesting decision," Aladdin said. He then snapped. It was at that moment that several Poswali royal guardsmen came in, led by a man with neat gray hair, wearing the red and brown armor of Poswa with pride. "Commander Haytham? Escort Lady Maleeka, servant of House Botros, and the rest of Duke Zahar's living soldiers to the dungeons."

"Yes, m'lord," the man, Haytham, nodded. "You heard the crown prince, men! I want these scum in cells by nightfall!" The royal guard grabbed all of Zahar's followers, and took them away. "If there's nothing else, m'lord, I'll take my leave…."

"Wait," Sulaiman interjected, making Haytham turn to him. "Sir Haytham… is there a particular reason that so many of Duke Zahar's men were able to get into the spare royal's wing in the first place?"

"I'm sorry, m'lord," Haytham said, "but I'm afraid that I was asked by your father to dedicate most of the castle guard to essential areas of the castle. The courtyard, the throne room, the armory, the treasury, the escape tunnels, and the dungeon. I didn't have too many hands to spare for the spare wing. The sultan's orders must be followed."

"Who would rob the castle's treasury in the middle of the day?" Nail scoffed. Idris shamefully looked away.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Haytham questioned.

"Just the low life thug who, after going a couple rounds with your prince here, decided to help him out of a jam," Nail replied.

"Interesting man you have here, little brother," Aladdin said.

"My point stands, Commander," Sulaiman frowned. "Orders or not, Lamia was ambushed by Zahar's men in our own castle, something that shouldn't have happened. It's your job to prevent things like this, is it not? What happened to my request for tighter security measures in this wing?"

"That's strange," Haytham mentioned. "You never put in a formal request to increase security in the spare royal's wing of the castle."

"I swore I delivered it to your office myself," Sulaiman replied. "I placed it on your desk alongside those other scrolls just last month."

"Oh, those scrolls?" Haytham recalled. "I'm sorry, Prince Sulaiman, I was ordered to burn all of those scrolls by your father."

"What the… why!?" Sulaiman questioned, nearly frustrated. "Why would you burn them!?"

"Your father ordered me to," Haytham answered. "As Commander of the Poswali Royal Guard, I answer to him and the heir alone. And their orders are absolute." Sulaiman frowned, and looked at Aladdin, who offered only a shaken head.

Aladdin said, "Sulaiman, Haytham is a very busy guard, and today, the castle was open to the public. Naturally, he couldn't keep track of EVERYTHING that's happened. Surely, a few of Duke Zahar's loyalists would take him losing the tournament badly and sneak up here to your area of the castle to take revenge. You can't blame Haytham for that oversight. If anything, blame yourself for making yourself a target to the nobility, again." Sulaiman frowned, but sighed in defeat. "You know how paranoid the members of the upper class are… sheep, the lot of them. One impressive feat from you, and these poor sheep we shepards look after think you're a wolf waiting for the full moon to strike. You trying to prove yourself the way you did only feeds into that fear."

"We BOTH know you're the better fighter," Sulaiman replied. "If I ever thought about taking Poswa from you for even a minute, we both know that would be the last minute I ever thought about it."

"For more reasons than one," Aladdin said. He looked at Haytham, who saluted, and departed. "Still, I suppose congratulations are in order, Sulaiman, as well as apologies for not being at the tournament or stopping this incident from occurring in the first place, myself. I had a private meeting I needed to attend to. You managed to win a tournament known to be rigged against you by sneaking into it, earning back a legendary blade that belongs to our house." Sulaiman looked at Taryn, and then sheathed it. "Did you know that Taryn was once forged by the Genie Dragon's very sire using one of his own fangs and infused with an Earthstone?"

"...Really?" Lamia asked, walking up to Sulaiman and looking over the blade. "So this really is THE Taryn sword, forged by Gargec? One of Gargec's four weapons designed for the sole purpose of destroying Rerci's prison. Gods, to think that House Sayegh held it for the longest time... do you think someone in House Botros had them assassinated for it for the prestige?"

"At least that's what the stories say," Aladdin recalled. "Now, as the eldest prince of House Nejem, the earth scimitar would normally fall to me to wield. However, before I came to find this incident, Father confronted me and said it should belong to your liege, Lady Gerges, seeing as you presented it to him. Personally, I find Father's gesture of honor too naïve to appease the concerns of the nobility, but the Sultan's decision is absolute. Also, it nearly wastes this gift that I was going to give you." A magic circle appeared in Aladdin's hand, and from it manifested an elegant scimitar sword with a red hilt, white guard, and golden blade.

"Magic everywhere in this damn castle," Nail whistled. "I guess it's true that the princes are part-djinn. How the hell did the sultan get a genie to go for a man like him?"

"Could you please be in silent awe?" Idris questioned. "This moment is between the two of them!"

"(Your hypocrisy is noted, Idris,)" Barack whispered.

"This sword I've named 'Orenmir'," Aladdin said, sheathing it into a brown sheath. He then handed the sword to Sulaiman. "It's no legend like Taryn, brother, nor is it as powerful as Father's old sword 'Witherbrand', but it's unique. I had it forged for you by a lovely young blacksmith woman. Of course, I had to keep it quiet, lest she would probably refuse crafting such a magnificent piece."

"Wow… this is quite generous, big brother," Sulaiman breathed. "I should repay you, soon—"

"Don't," Aladdin said. "Again, it's a gift. All I ask in return, of course, is that you use it well. Especially considering the rumors I have heard about someone in the east. Take care, little brother." Aladdin began to walk away.

"Aladdin," Sulaiman called. The older brother turned to his younger one, who had a concerned look on his face. "Some people, I've been able to convince to think better of me. But others… how do I convince them that I'm not the real threat to Poswa, here? The real threat is the Empire of Argelia. If we don't join the war soon… we might be too late to save Orobia."

"That's a good question," Aladdin said. He thought about it for a minute. "I suppose you can't truly please everyone… but you have to try to reach out, like you've been doing. Earn that respect. Don't just put liking you as 'a choice'. Make it 'the right choice'. And if they still don't like you, well… just keep walking, and keep a hand to your sword. You've done all you could without resorting to force, yet you're always ready to strike back if they don't leave you be." He then walked away for real that time.

"...What did he mean by 'rumors to the east'?" Nail asked.

"Wait, you speak like you've officially joined Prince Sulaiman's staff," Idris said.

"Why can't I?" Nail questioned. "I mean, who are you? His bodyguard?"

"No, I'm his attendant," Idris confessed. "And Lamia is his healer, and Sir Barack here his trainer."

"...And there's nobody else with combat training besides the three of you who work exclusively for him?" the barbarian asked.

"Not really, I'm afraid," Lamia said. "I know there are many people in Poswa's past who thought of having to work for a spare noble to be either a dead-end career or a death sentence depending on when the spare noble tries to stage a coup that gets shut down, but Sulaiman's actually a very good employer."

"And I've been preparing Sulaiman to combat MANY assassination attempts," Barack added. "He's survived quite a few, not counting today."

"Well that explains everything, doesn't it?" Nail chuckled. "Prince, you need an actual bodyguard to watch your back! That way, people will be less likely to try to stab it! I'd like to throw my hat in the ring."

"Don't you already work for Duke Zahar?" Lamia recalled.

"He just paid me to be his champion in this tournament," the barbarian scoffed. "Me losing and then fighting his men leading to the living ones' arrest probably means I'm as good as fired, so I may as well seek a new employer. So yeah, I could be your prince's bodyguard."

"We'll discuss your employment to me later," Sulaiman spoke up. "I should probably head to my chambers, and the rest of you should do the same. Lamia, in case I haven't said it enough, thank you again, for today."

"I should be thanking you as well, m'lord," Lamia replied, albeit with a slight blush. "You were willing to get absolutely brutalized for me, twice. Even though it was incredibly stupid, you showed you do care for your people."

"I still see you have that wise tongue of yours to keep me on the right path," Sulaiman smiled at her with a chuckle. He then walked to his chambers.

"Well, it looks like I'm going to be working alongside you guys," Nail smirked. "Now… what's this about someone in the east that Prince Aladdin said?"

"It's Prince Sulaiman's business," Lamia answered almost immediately. "That's all I'm able to say. Please respect his boundaries." She then walked to her own room.

"...What's gotten into her smallclothes?" Nail asked Idris.

* * *

 **Sulaiman's Chambers**

Sulaiman finally walked into his bedroom. The prince, rather than admire the fancy writing desk or large, soft bed, the giant bookcase, or all the other luxuries of the suite, found himself staring at the balcony, where a brown hawk eagerly perched on the window, having a mouse in his talons. Sulaiman raised his finger for a moment, and looked around the suite to find a pair of thick gloves. When he opened the window, door to the balcony, the hawk, having finished off the mouse, flew into the room, and swirled around the sky before landing on Sulaiman's arm, and poking him with his beak.

"Sorry, Ebony," the prince said. "I've been busy, today. I completely forgot you were coming from Princess Yasmin today."

The hawk cawed in Sulaiman's face while raising his leg to reveal a pouch. Sulaiman reached into the pouch, revealing a small red crystal. Sulaiman strolled to his desk, and pulled out a small, strange black plate with several archaic symbols and a hole big enough for the crystal into it. Sulaiman placed the crystal into the plate, and sighed while closing his eyes. He then opened one.

"I look decent, right?" he asked Ebony. The hawk nodded. "Thanks." He closed the eye, and began concentrating. It took a bit of time, but his hands soon manifested a small magic circle that laid on the plate. Sulaiman then backed up, and pulled up a seat. When the crystal was hit with the magic, it then displayed an image of a young woman not much older than him. She had tanned skin, a slim figure, bright brown eyes, curly brown hair, and a gentle smile. She was wearing a pink and white dress with a silver circlet on her head, and a golden necklace with a red gemstone inside of it.

 _"_ _Sulaiman!"_ the girl smiled. _"Finally! I thought Ebony didn't reach you!"_

"Oh, he reached me," Sulaiman said. The bird cawed again. "I just had a little business to attend to, around the castle."

 _"_ _Oh, your annual tournament?"_ the woman smiled. _"How did your champion do, this year?"_

"You're looking at a winner," Sulaiman smiled. "Nobody can say that I'm afraid of getting my own hands covered in dirt."

 _"_ _You actually fought in the tournament?"_ the woman asked. She shook her head. _"Sulaiman… you and Janiya both are unafraid of getting into fights. You at least try to be diplomatic, though. I'm trying with her, but... her patience needs work."_

"Princess Janiya?" Sulaiman asked. "Your younger sister, Yasmin? Does she know about us, yet?"

 _"_ _Well, she does, as of a few days ago,"_ Yasmin confessed. _"She was going to learn, sooner or later. She honestly thought that the upcoming treaty would end with her hand in marriage given!"_ Sulaiman gently chuckled while Yasmin laughed.

"I don't think from what you've told me about Janiya, she'd be the type to agree to a political marriage, even if it meant a long-lasting peace between Poswa and Cruibia, and coordinated strikes against the Empire," Sulaiman commented. "She's a front lines girl, not one for politics or peace treaties."

 _"_ _Oh, she was livid about this treaty until Father and I explained to her that her getting married isn't part of the treaty at all,"_ Yasmin giggled. She calmed down, and her face was pink while she began playing with her hair. _"However, Sulaiman… it would be effective to seal the treaty with a wedding."_

"...What?" Sulaiman asked, his own cheeks pink. He thought about his older brother's words from earlier. "Yasmin, are you… are you proposing to me?"

 _"_ _And he gets it so quickly!"_ Yasmin beamed, clapping her hands. _"And here I was about to make a dramatic speech."_

Sulaiman winced, and apologized, "Oh gods, I'm sorry, I ruined that."

 _"_ _No, you're fine."_ Yasmin inhaled, and exhaled. _"Sulaiman… remember about five years ago, when you and I were mourning our mothers?"_

"They, the other queens, and Princess Consort Najiyya were all assassinated aboard the personal flagship of the Imperial royal family, and Empress Chitra has yet to answer about what happened," Sulaiman recalled. "Father and almost the rest of the Orobian kings didn't take the lack of response very well, and war was declared, but not before a funeral. I was heartbroken about Mother. But… I saw I wasn't the only person who lost a mother in that massacre. You idolize your mother… you've tried to imitate her diplomatic approach in almost everything you did. You even took after her in caring for people."

 _"_ _Thank you for the small trip down memory lane,"_ Yasmin smiled, her eyes slightly watering. _"Your Mother was one of the few people who truly cared for you in all of Poswa growing up. I'm still slightly miffed about your brother doing absolutely nothing to protect you from those noble boys who beat you up before we first met. You say he's gotten better. However, that's besides the point. You comforted me when everyone else was grieving over their own losses, showing the whole world that the southern nations of Orobia will support each other over a mutual loss. Nobody would have blamed you for any other action you could have taken, yet you STILL comforted me. And Father and your father both couldn't unhear the multiple comments made by the witnesses. So… they made a deal about us when we both came of age."_

"So, an arranged marriage?" Sulaiman concluded. "Now? When we have the war ahead of us?"

 _"_ _I know it's oddly timed,"_ Yasmin answered, _"but Sulaiman… I love you. And I know you love me… right?"_ She flashed her necklace, and closed her eyes, hoping she wasn't about to be deceived.

"Of course I do," Sulaiman answered. "Ever since we were children! You've been one of the few people who have ever given a damn about me without any obligation! You're beautiful, you're kind, you're selfless… you're are a beacon of light in southern Orobia. I couldn't believe you noticed me."

 _"_ _Save the speech for the wedding vows,"_ Yasmin giggled, opening her eyes and smiling. She heard the truth. She then knelt down, and looked at Ebony. _"That is… if you're willing to marry me, Prince Sulaiman Nejem of Poswa."_ Sulaiman turned to see the hawk digging his beak into the pouch, and pulled out a pair of rings, eagerly holding them in his beak. _"You can remake your family's seal on them, right?"_

"...Yes, I can," Sulaiman answered. "And yes, Princess Yasmin Madani of Cruibia. I WILL marry you." Sulaiman took the two rings, and held them to the light. "I'd be honored, Yasmin, to be your husband. I'll start on this as soon as I'm able to."

 _"_ _Then in a few months, Sulaiman,"_ Yasmin said, _"it will be official. You and I will be married, Poswa and Cruibia will be united, and we'll begin to bring this war to an end. I want you to come to Serirly for the ceremony. It's the large city on Cruibia's side of the Poswali-Cruibian border. How long do you think the journey will take you?"_

"I'm sure it will only take about a couple weeks of travel, give or take incidents," Sulaiman said. "Are you sure I shouldn't come, now?"

 _"_ _Well, Father is paying for the entire wedding,"_ Yasmin answered. _"As the bride, I am going to be busy planning things, here… I want you to be awed. Also, I want you to study Cruibian citizenship because you will be MY consort."_ Sulaiman and Yasmin both laughed. The image began to flicker. _"Aw, the astral crystal's about to break, again? We need to figure out what's causing this clog in your magic."_

"Look at it this way, my sweet princess," Sulaiman smiled at her. "In a few months, we won't have to use these to see each other over this far of a distance, again." Yasmin laughed.

 _"_ _We'll see, my warrior prince,"_ Yasmin smiled. _"Until we can talk in person, my love!"_

"Until we can speak again," Sulaiman agreed. With that, the image faded, and Sulaiman looked at the crystal. He sighed, seeing it cracked. "Either I need to figure out what's been mucking up my magic since I was a child, or when I go to Cruibia, I need to get far more stable crystals." The hawk shrugged. "Well, Ebony, thank you very much for bringing me this news. I'll see if I cook you something to eat!" The bird nodded in excitement.

Had the prince looked back towards the balcony, however, he would have seen the snout of a blue wyvern, who purred.

* * *

 **City of Tanuhah—House Botros Vacation Home... That Night**

Zahar was one part livid, and one part fearful, as he stared at the crown prince that evening. "So my people…?"

"They'll be lucky to not face the axe for this incident," Aladdin bluntly told him. "Your paranoia is unbecoming, Duke Zahar."

"My paranoia…?" Zahar frowned. "I'm doing this to protect Poswa's best interest in the future! That future is one under YOU, m'lord! You're the next-in-line ruler of Poswa! Between his grief for your mother, and his atrophy to battle since marrying her, your father could drop dead any day, now… like from a blade your brother could wield!"

"Father's untimely death would only place me in his throne sooner," Aladdin replied. "And Sulaiman cares too much for Father to even consider doing it. And even if he did try to take the throne this way, I don't think there's a soul in Orobia who'd let him get away with it."

"He could kill you, though," Zahar argued. "You know he cooks his own meals and is a better archer than you!"

"The former because, while I cannot exactly legally prove it, I believe a certain someone's people tried to poison him, once," Aladdin frowned. Zahar gulped, realizing what Aladdin was accusing him. "He despises poison as a result, and he's promised that if he ever kills someone, he'll do it in person. I do believe we once agreed you'd abandon your attempts at assassination, and I'd never report it to Father. Under NO circumstances are you to violate our agreement, again." He then looked around the office, and continued, "As for his archery… arrows will never be a problem for me. Now, if you don't stop worrying about my brother preparing to go to war against me, he will become the least of your concerns." He turned to leave.

"Honestly, that spare has outlived his usefulness now that you're of age to rule." Aladdin's only response to this was to turn with a hardened glare. Zahar, blissfully unaware, asked, "So, why don't you let anybody pluck that thorn from ours sides for good?"

 ** _SHING!_**

Zahar looked to see a sword to his chest, held by Aladdin. "Leave my brother alone," the crown prince answered. He sheathed the blade, and said, "Consider it your last warning, Zahar Botros. More than your status as Duke of Kashab will depend on your ability to follow my instructions." Aladdin then walked out, leaving Zahar to his surprise.

"...Does Prince Aladdin really CARE about his younger brother!?" Zahar asked. "Despite the fact that his brother is becoming a very clear threat to him and Poswa!?" He then shook his head. "Fools… both Aladdin and Mecca don't understand that just because he's slow to snap doesn't mean that Sulaiman WON'T snap against them one day! That spare prince is a sleeping dragon waiting to be awoken! Why wouldn't you cut off its head while it slumbered!?"

 ** _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_**

"Ugh, who is it, now!?" Zahar grumbled. "This had BETTER be important!" he called. The window to his study opened, and a hooded clad person walked in through it. They took off her hood, revealing a fair-skinned woman with a pair of midnight blue eyes, short red hair tied in a bun, red lipstick and eyeshadow, and wearing red and orange armor. "I have a perfectly good door, wyvern knight."

"At the risk of being followed on the ground AND because I like the night sky," the woman answered, "I chose the air. Besides, it's in-character of me to fly on Yzet for a patrol of the city."

"And this is why I think wyvern knights make terrible spies," Zahar muttered.

"I'm not a professional spy, I'm just a soldier and a blackmail victim whose older brother you have framed for a crime he didn't commit, and will be executed if I don't cooperate in your schemes to gain more favor with the royal family by being an informant on Sulaiman's activities," the woman said. "It doesn't change the fact that by working with you against Prince Sulaiman, I'm technically betraying the royal family, but at least we're clear about it."

"Your cantor has not gone unnoticed, Cantara," Zahar deadpanned. "Now, tell me WHY I should indulge your sharp tongue, tonight?"

"Do you want to know what Prince Sulaiman is up to, lately, or what?" the woman asked. "I have two conditions before I tell you anything, of course. First: you clear my brother's name. Luwai is a gentle soul, not a murderer who ravaged that farm, and you will provide that proof."

"Still about that family of yours, Cantana?" Zahar asked. "For one of the toughest wyvern riders of Poswa this generation, I didn't expect you to have such a vulnerable weakness. Still, now that I figured out where one of your soft spots are, I suppose I can just keep on poking it… see what the wyvern has under her scales…."

 ** _THUNK!_**

Zahar barely avoided losing his hand to the large steel axe now planted in his desk. "Luwai is the ONLY family I have left besides Yzet since our parents died of illness and our big brother Jubair was killed by brigands!" Cantara frowned. "Of course I care about him! But you will keep your hands to yourself, Duke!"

"...Well, aren't you just feisty," the duke said. "Of course, you do realize I'll have a difficult time signing ANYTHING, even an official pardon for your brother, if I'm short a hand."

"Then again, don't even joke about touching me," Cantara said.

"Sheesh, from being sassed by a cleric to being threatened in my own vacation home," Zahar said. "First, Sulaiman's cleric, then Prince Aladdin himself, now you? What is with this blasted capital protecting spare nobles?" Cantara gasped and looked around, which didn't go unnoticed by the duke, who gave a slight smirk. "...If you're wondering where the crown prince is, wyvern knight, you're too late. Aladdin's left." The woman's shoulders sagged. He grinned, having discovered another weakness. "So… I take it that your second condition for informing me about whatever dastardly scheme the spare prince has in store involves Prince Aladdin in some way?"

"...Alright, three conditions," Cantara answered after a moment. "First: my brother's name is cleared. Second: you do NOT mention me betraying the royal family for your own schemes. And third: you in fact put in a good word to Prince Aladdin for me." She turned away from the duke, and gently sighed. "If you introduce me, properly, and I become one of his retainers… maybe that will get me closer to his heart~"

"I didn't know that such a fierce flier would have such a sensitive ambition, little wyvern!" Zahar chuckled. "I should have gotten you wrapped around my finger ages ago!"

 ** _SHING!_**

Without even turning to face him, the wyvern knight had plucked her axe out of the desk and leveled it to Zahar's neck. "Let me have my moment," the woman requested. Once she relaxed the axe, she then turned to Zahar, and asked, "So… is it a deal, or not?"

"...Anything to nip this spare prince problem in the bud," Zahar grunted. "Agreed. Now… what is Sulaiman up to? What's his latest scheme? Who is his conspirator? I have to know the names of the latest enemies to the crown."

"Not a scheme or enemies, really, so much as an announcement that will soon be made," Cantara answered. "Prince Sulaiman is soon to be married."

"Married?" Zahar asked. "What sane woman in all of Poswa would willingly agree to marry Sulaiman!?"

"Well, I'm not sure that counts," Cantara said. "Besides him being a spare prince and the stigma with that in Poswa since Prince Aseel, there's not much wrong with him. He's handsome, not as much as his brother, but decent enough on the eyes. But Princess Yasmin of Cruibia has claimed his heart."

"...Princess Yasmin? Cruibia?" Zahar asked. "Are you sure?"

"I swear on my parents' graves and the scales of Yzet's back," Cantara answered, "Orobia is about to have a royal wedding between our spare prince and the crown princess of our old rival nation. Make of that whatever you will… just keep your end of the bargain. My brother's freedom, my part in this left out, and you help me meet with Aladdin." Turning from him, she said, "I better head back to the wyvern knight barracks before I'm reported." She whistled, and a blue female wyvern flapped upwards to the window. Cantara hopped onto her, and scratched her wyvern under her neck, and the wyvern flew off.

Zahar, now once more alone, scratched his chin. "So… Sulaiman will soon be married to Princess Yasmin?" the duke mused. "That's an interesting prospect. I guess that means he'll be Cruibia's problem in the future. But for how long, really, until he decides to try to finish what King Darius started years ago, and destroy Poswa?" He pounded his fist into the desk. "There's no mistaking it. Sulaiman's planning on betraying Poswa to Cruibia once the war with Argelia ends! He's marrying the crown princess to have an army, make Poswa lower its guard to Cruibia long enough to defeat those wretched Argelians, and strike while we're weakened! That clever dastard! He's playing the game... and too well, I might add. But it's too obvious of a move." He sighed. "I have to stop this wedding."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, Zahar's an interesting villain specifically because he's not playing the political game for his OWN sake... mostly. He's playing the game to keep the status quo, and think he's being a proactive agent loyal to the crown by preventing Sulaiman from being a problem, when Sulaiman doesn't have these intentions, which is why he's paranoid.

It's mainly because Aseel, the prince and younger brother of the last Poswali Sultan (Mecca's father, and Sulaiman and Aladdin's grandfather) Wisaam, was SUCH a bastard, he has an entire war named after him. I promised to talk about him, so here goes: If there was a prequel to _Night of Tales_ written, Aseel would be a big bad. Jealous that his older brother (by a few minutes) was named heir to the throne, Aseel pretended to be completely loyal to Wisaam but was secretly scheming to take the throne for himself... but his ambition wouldn't settle for just Poswa, but ALL of Orobia under him. He attempted to get his brother either killed or seen as a bad choice for the next Sultan, but failed by the time their father died. It only got worse when Wisaam's wife gave birth to Mecca, since this meant that any hope for the throne Aseel had required both Wisaam AND Mecca out of the way. He manipulated the start of a war when he assassinated Wisaam's wife and blamed Darius' parents for the deed, leading to Wisaam killing the two, with a young Darius vowing revenge. Darius and Mecca met on the battlefield but weren't able to beat each other, dragging Minoo, Farah, and their group into the war to save Minoo's older brother Kamyar. Aseel may have succeeded in getting his older brother's reputation forever tarnished, but his brother was stronger than him and Mecca was skilled in battle, completing several missions Aseel assigned with the intent for Mecca to die. Eventually, Mecca discovered his uncle's treachery, and Aseel, now out of patience and exposed, poisoned his brother, usurped the crown himself, and declared Mecca a traitor for a brief time, but only his loyalists actually agreed with this, and he was very quickly overthrown and killed by Mecca, Farah, and Minoo. But Darius was still wanting revenge while Mecca wished to honor his father's dying wish of winning the war, leading to the final duel the two princes turned young kings had in the Valley of Fangs, that Minoo and Farah interrupted. The two young kings, seeing the women they fell in love with for their own reasons (Farah embracing her manic pixie dream girl tendencies and earning an always drawn to the enchanting Mecca's wonder, while Minoo earned Darius' respect with her speed, grace, and determination) willing to die to stop them, threw down their weapons, and called a truce... just in time to deal with another threat, but that's another story.

That's why the past few chapters, you've repeatedly heard people show concern with Aseel.

Anyway, this chapter itself brings Lamia into combat, and she's a cleric. You know, your typical healer you have to spend a while protecting while they keep the rest of your army alive, and then once you level them up, they can start kicking butt. I'm going to give one of these "lords" a troubador sometime (since nobody's picking troubadour or cleric, but I guess it's because I forgot to put staff as a weapon choice, my fault, fixed now), but until then, know that with time, Lamia can become a priestess and gain swords, a guardian and ALSO gain swords (but with armor), and an Enchanter to have daggers and tomes... and light magic. Nail, meanwhile, is a barbarian. I know that usually, the axe-wielders that are playable are typically known as fighters, but apart from title, I really don't see too much of a difference. Also, they can traverse mountains and forests easier than most units, and become either berserkers (axe-specializing, high-HP, and high strength and critical masters), heroes (and gain swords with their axes) and/or warriors (and gain bows... with their axes).

Finally, we have none other than Aladdin himself... everybody, meet the magical badass who completes the "Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" trinity, and the only one specifically keeping his name. He's Sulaiman's older brother... and his better in most categories. You'll find more about him, later on.

Now then, onto the reviews.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, you'd be surprised what traveling nomads like the Romani of Orobia run into. Luckily, they picked up Himli, and Tawni's like, "Can I keep him, Father? He's cute and with time can become all-powerful!" Pretty much my reaction to Donnel and Mozu from _Awakening_ and _Fates._ Donny's always going to be one of my strongest units, and he's the only character besides Chrom and possibly either Stahl or Virion who I'd pair female Robin with. Moving along, now.

Yeah, Mawdood's already a menace. I don't think I stressed this enough, but if you recall the very first chapter, the Ustrosi Thieves Guild was the enemy of the chapter. Sure, there were traitors among the Argelian units, but Kiral and Zainab specifically fought Ustrosi Thieves Guild units. So Mawdood, whether he was there that night or not, has a hand in the assassination of at least four queens and a noblewoman who married into royalty. And considering the fact that in the _Fire Emblem_ universe, nobles tend to be badasses, this is pretty damn impressive. Add into the fact that at least two of these five were war heroines, this was no small feat.

So yeah, once Sulaiman and Janiya BOTH find out Mawdood had a hand in the assassination of their mothers AND Mawdood realizes just who Howe is and why Howe's ruining his day, yeah... he's picked a fight with all the main characters. It's like Lekain of _Radiant Dawn,_ where everyone wants his head. However, Mawdood is scary BECAUSE he's ruthless and capable of killing his foes himself.

 **Consort:** Surprised to see me? Yeah, I got into _Fire Emblem._ Thanks for your entries, though.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** Working on fixing the grammar. Tawni and her crew are fun to write for BECAUSE they're very entertaining, and you get to see just how this band of nomads is ultimately this family. Sure, there's an air of mystery around them, and Tawni's noticed it, which is why she's investigating her father's history.

You see, this is why I love seeing people who know more lore than I do (again, only joined in the 3DS generation, and I'm sorry to older fans). They can teach me things like this, which makes me do more research, and appreciate it. I would NOT have even really known there was such a class! Thanks for this!

 **Ike:** Howe's ability to sweep women off their feet is actually kind of impressive. But yeah, the Romanis and traveling merchants (hell, travelers in general) have to be wary since brigands are everywhere. It requires someone with combat training to safely go ANYWHERE in Orobia.

 **ZenoZen:** That's the mystery. Guaril and Nakia did, in fact, know each other. Why and how is the ultimate question.

Alright, so once again, there's another poll posted on my profile page. Which Chapter 3 do you all want to see first? I have a LOT of writing I need to do... and I'll have to warn you right now, Howe's chapter is in fact the longest one.

Farewell, subjects!


	10. Janiya Chapter 3: Investigation Inter

A/N: Hey everybody, we're back. Things have gotten a little... sidetracked since we last updated. And by "sidetracked", I mean, "I just got a puppy, and most of my free time has been spent trying to train good behavior into him". I'm sorry if I worried you, but I take my responsibilities very seriously to the point I annoy my own FAMILY about obsessing with making things work. I also have a very inconsistent update schedule, so don't really expect rapid fire updates. Finally, I try to polish all four characters' chapters at once, so that has a bit of a tie-in.

So, yeah, don't worry, I'm just busy.

Anyway, people wanted Janiya, right? So yeah, here comes Janiya! Be warned, however: I may start pushing the edge of the T-rating in terms of violence in both this chapter and definitely Howe's chapter, at least... if I cross over the line between T and M for violence, please let me know, and I'll bump this up to an M-rating.

* * *

 _Summary: Janiya, after discovering that Cruibia is under attack by zealots who hate Rerci, is determined to identify the leader of these fanatics. However, she is sidetracked when an Argelian commander attacks a fortress..._

* * *

 **Janiya's Tale, Chapter 3: Investigation Interruptus**

* * *

 **Kingdom of Poswa, Hidden Village of Haidr—2 Days After the Battle in Cubes**

Heluc tiredly limped into the hidden mountain village of manaketes at nightfall, many of them looking in shock and horror at his tattered appearance… and the scars where his eye used to be. He looked at the large building, and began moving to it.

"Where have you been, Heluc?" a male manakete questioned him. "Where are your friends? What happened to you!?" Heluc ignored the questions, and continued his slog towards the building, only to nearly collapse. The manakete grabbed him, and pulled him up. "We need to get you to Derrim and Topal's house!"

"N-No," Heluc growled. "Master Secdin and Lady Adre… especially Lady Adre. She needs to know… gah!"

"You're at death's door, young drake!" the older manakete argued. "You need a healer!"

"No time…" Heluc spat. "Lady Adre needs to hear this… S-Sizah…."

"Sizah?" a female voice asked. It was at this moment that an older manakete woman than Megtra or Hullas walked in wearing a cloak, partially confused and partially horrified at the name. She then uncerimoniously grabbed Heluc, and hauled him over her shoulder.

"Matriarch, you shouldn't do that," the older drake said while she began to walk with the younger manakete towards a different house. "You're with child, right now!"

"Oh, just because I'm knocked up, doesn't mean I can't do a little heavy lifting," the woman, Adre, said. "Besides, the longer this boy spends trying to argue with you, the sooner he'll bleed out. I'd rather hurry him up so he knows I'm hearing his story." She then looked at her passenger, and asked, "So… what's this about my mortal enemy?" She then scowled, and said, "You all didn't listen to me when I said, 'Don't mess with the Valley of Fangs', didn't you?"

"...Y-Yes," Heluc winced. Adre then grabbed his left wing between her fingers, and pulled it, making Heluc yelp.

"You better not have hauled your sorry arse all this way back across two countries to tell me my niece is dead because you took her treasure hunting in a place I specifically forbade you all from going to."

"She's the only one besides me who's still alive… I think," the young manakete answered. "But… Sizah has her. And she's going after Cruibia!"

"You idiots…." Adre sighed. "Did NONE of you ever think about WHY I, of all manaketes, would tell you to, under NO circumstances, to go to, or gods forbid DIG in, the Valley of Fangs if you're going to go scavenging!? Because I KNOW there's an ancient evil buried there!"

"Well, how were we supposed to know!?" Heluc shot back, getting his energy returned to him. "You never told Megtra WHY we shouldn't go!"

"Simple," Adre replied. "If a former war veteran and scavenger tells you about a dangerous location that you should never go to, you LISTEN to your elder because it's obvious she knows more about the place! Do you honestly think I'd ban you from going somewhere for ANY other reason?" Heluc grew silent as they got closer to the house Adre was hauling them to. "And let me guess, you had Meg open an ancient locked chest that was buried several feet underground."

"Well, to be fair, we had to dig it—"

"Yes or no, Heluc."

"...Yes."

"And then, you opened it, saw the shiny dragonstone inside, and pulled it out."

"That was Hullas," Heluc said.

"I don't care which of you kids pulled the stone out," Megtra said. "The fact that you're the only one who made it back means you let it go for even a second when you standing in front of an ifrit who violently hates dragons! That second was ALL she needed to start killing you and your friends, especially considering how she specializes in sword combat!"

"...Yeah, we really should have done something about that wyrmslayer," Heluc agreed. He was then dropped by Adre on the front porch of a house. She then let a small moan of pain before placing her hand on her stomach.

"Okay," Adre nodded. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to get your sorry arse patched up by Topal. When you're finished healing, I'm going to haul said sorry arse all the way to Bagedzi, and you're going to explain to Minoo's family exactly how badly you messed things up for them. And then, when you're finished apologizing to all of Cruibia for anything Sizah might have done and WILL do and BEGGING for their forgiveness, we're going to rescue my niece. Do you understand me?"

"...Yes, Matriarch," Heluc grumbled.

"Good," Adre said. "Now, I'm going to go lie down and cry, because this is the worst combination of bad news I've had since my blood sisters died." She then began walking away, and then called, "Also, you're heavy! Lose some weight!"

* * *

 **Kingdom of Cruibia, Cubes Outskirts—3 Days Later**

Janiya, Yasmin, and their allies were looking around the city. Janiya in particular was hanging around Payam. "It's been too long, Payam," she smiled at him. "I'm glad if anyone showed up to help me and my retainers, it was you."

"Your welcome, m'lady," Payam nodded.

"'M'lady'?" Janiya repeated with a frown. "You know you don't have to be formal with me when we're alone! We were friends since I snuck out of the castle that one time, got horribly lost, and you decided to help me up and get me back there."

"Yeah… you were crying so loudly while I was playing my flute, I couldn't concentrate." Janiya giggled.

"You were so angry, back then," Janiya admitted. "Hard to believe you've mellowed out into such a fine archer. And I'm becoming a soldier. Thanks, again."

"Not a problem, Janiya," Payam replied.

"If you two want," Elahe said, floating on her carpet nearby them, "I could always take Caspar and leave you two be… for hours. And not tell your father, Lady Janiya."

"Elahe," Janiya frowned, her cheeks pink, "I've told you, Payam ISN'T my boyfriend!"

"He's your childhood friend whose a boy," Elahe said. "Why wouldn't he be your boyfriend? Also, word gets around the castle. Caspar said you were briefly livid about the wedding announcement because you thought that it was YOU who was getting married to a Poswali nobleman. Surely, Payam would have objected. If anyone was to take your—" She yelped when Janiya and Payam brandished their weapons designed for dealing with fliers. "Okay, sorry! Sheesh, you two really DO belong together!"

"We're not having this conversation right now," Janiya scowled, closing her tome. "Besides, we need to look for clues on the woman who ordered this attack."

"Alright, fine," the genie said. "But I want to spoil my godchildren."

"What godchildren?" Janiya asked the genie.

"The ones you'd give me if you actually started looking for a husband!" Elahe replied. "I live for thousands of years as a djinn! Those kids and their descendants would never have a boring day with me around. I'd be a GREAT godmom!"

"Again, not having this conversation," Janiya said. "What do you have to report?"

"Well," Elahe said while lowering her carpet down, "so far, Captain Dastan hasn't been able to crack that guy leading the charge about who is leading the anti-Rerci anarchists. I've contacted what friends I have left in my home village, and so far,they haven't heard too much. However, Elder Muazi has mentioned about 30 years ago."

"Aseel's War," Janiya said, crossing her arms. "I should have expected as much. What about it?"

"Well," Elahe said, "back then, Elder Muazi was approached by a djinn woman, somewhat similar to the description of the woman from Lady Yasmin's vision." Janiya recalled the white haired, but black and purple clad genie woman. "She tried to force him to join her plan to eradicate all draconic life and those who worship them. He refused, and managed to turn her away, although not without several injuries. Also, Muazi never got her name."

"I think I know who," a female voice said. Janiya, Elahe, and Payam looked to see Etti walking forward. "I take it your mother never told you about Sizah, did she?"

"...Sizah?" Janiya asked.

"A powerful genie from ancient Orobia, almost as old as Rerci Herself," Etti explained. "She's not exactly a full goddess, but she's easily one of the most powerful genies on Orobia, that she was, for a brief time, called 'the Goddess of Chaos'. Toughest fight of our lives, that madwoman, but we won." She then scratched her head, and said, "But it doesn't make any sense… I thought Minoo and Farah defeated her, we drained most of her magic save for light summoning, domination, and teleportation, and Darius bound her to Adre's old dragonstone, sealing her away. The other four girls and I even buried her treasure chest and made a vow to NEVER tell anyone about Sizah's location!" She then sighed. "Adre… did you mess up?"

"Dragonstone?" Janiya questioned. "Wait, Aunt Adre was… she's a manakete?"

"It seems she is," Yasmin said, walking over. "Funny, the stories don't mention that."

"Well, the stories don't mention that Farah was an ifrit on her father's side since he was from Ustros, but here we are," Etti replied. "A bit too much controversy. That's not important, right now."

"...Wait, so Sulaiman's a quarter ifrit?" Yasmin asked. "Interesting tidbit of information. I should talk to him about it when I send him another astral crystal."

"Focus, Sister," Janiya said. "So, you're implying, Aunt Etti, that Sizah has, for some reason or another, been released?"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

"What the… what was that!?" Janiya asked. At this moment, a green haired woman, her hair tied in a bun, wearing the armor of a pegasus knight, swooped down on her brown steed, panic on her face.

"Lady Yasmin, Lady Janiya!" the pegasus knight panted. "We have trouble! Fort Asazd has come under attack!"

"What!?" Janiya asked. "That's not too far from Cubes!"

"Janiya," Yasmin said, "Father's heard about the attack on Cubes, and was already on his way. We should let him know about this, as well."

"You handle that!" Janiya said. "I'm going to see what happened!" She then began running alongside Elahe and Payam, leaving Yasmin flabbergasted.

"Janiya…!" the older princess called. She then sighed. "Why do you keep rushing into things?"

"Your father was like that, as well," Etti said. "She's somewhat reckless, just like him. If not for your mother's hair and desire to do the right thing, sometimes I wonder if she's really Minoo's kid."

"I hope she's going to be okay," Yasmin said. She held onto her necklace, inhaled, and concentrated.

"You don't have to push yourself, Yasmin," Etti said to her niece. "Minoo was drained every time she tried to use it herself, when she first got it… it took a lot of stamina."

"I don't care if I'm drained!" Yasmin answered. "This is my little sister I'm concerned about! I need to know what to expect!" Etti's eyes widened, but she smirked.

"Secretly stubborn like your father, but putting family first, like your mother," the duchess of Cubes smirked. "You're both their daughters, alright. You just have more of your mom in you than your sister. Alright… maybe if I help, it won't be that taxing…."

* * *

 **Fort Asazd**

Asazd Fortress was a known defensive position not too far from Cubes. It was a beautiful, and strong looking fortress, one that proudly bared the red heart surrounded by swirling blue winds that was the Cruibian flag to flutter above it.

At least, that was not too long ago when Janiya, her retainers, and Payam briefly saw it the other day. Now, however, she was staring at the ravaged building, one of the outer walls completely collapsed, and what she could see of the inside of the fortress wasn't looking much better. Also, the flag that was once hanging high proudly was now on the ground outside of the fortress, tattered.

"Be careful, everyone," Janiya said, keeping her hand to her sword. "We may be walking into something." She then took a few steps inside the now rubbled wall, looking around. She then stopped, and gasped in horror. And then her horror quickly melted into rage. "I am SO glad Yasmin's not here… but still!"

"And why would that be… oh gods!" Elahe breathed. The group was staring at several bodies left inside the fortress. Although a few Argelian soldiers were scattered about, a good majority of the dead were in fact, Cruibians. To make matters worse, plenty of the Cruibians were gathered in one place… too many to be just killed in the fighting.

"These people… they were executed," Payam realized.

"In cold blood, no less," Caspar said. "If Argelia attacked this fortress… it didn't look like they were trying to take prisoners. I even see the fort commander's armor. I don't understand… why wouldn't they keep some alive? Wouldn't it be tactically more sound to interrogate some people, or keep them alive to get some of their own soldiers back?"

"Who did this!?" Janiya scowled. "Who was the Argelian BASTARD who did this!?"

"Şey ... adamlarım gibi görünüyor ve düşündüğümden birkaç tane Cruvian'ı kaçırdım," a male voice answered her. The small group looked to see several Argelian soldiers walking in, some wearing heavy armor. But their leader was the one who stood out. He was 5'11" with a lean yet toned build with light skin. His golden hair was neatly combed back, but the upper half of his otherwise handsome visage was hidden behind a silver mask with piercing red lenses that seemed eerie and made him hard to read. To finish it off, he was wearing deep dyed red armor with a golden hawk spreading its wings on the chest plate rather than the usual pink lion that was typical Argelian fare. His golden shield was on his back, and a sword was at his side. And in his possession was a small pot, and a young man with pointed ears, pierced unattached earlobes, and a red gem on his forehead was at his side, a pair of golden bracelets with markings on his wrist.

"...Templar," Elahe gasped, visibly shaking.

"Crusader, actually, but yes," the man said, switching to Orobian. "Not that it matters to you all, since you will not be leaving here."

"You… you murdered all of these people!" Janiya growled.

"M'lady," Caspar said, gripping her wrist. "We need to get out of here, now."

"Not until this monster answers why these people had to die!" Janiya answered, reaching for Hova.

"Am I really the monster?" the crusader questioned. "Or are we ALL monsters?" He spread his arms out, and said, "Look at this place! Humans, djinn, manaketes? Even the beast and bird folks? Always fighting over such insignificant things! Such as this legend about a half-dragon, half-genie girl who was born in the wrong century! Dragons, genies, and humans were all fine when the manaketes thought she was a manakete, the djinn thought she was a genie, and the humans thought she was a young miracle worker! But then one angry dragon reveals she's a hybrid, and everyone in your petty continent flips their lids! The manaketes burn cities! The djinn create curses that ravage fields! And humans just run around, crying and pointing fingers, blaming a girl who provided them with gold, medicine, wine, safety! Just thirty years ago on your continent, a jealous brother betrays another by poisoning that man's wife, tricking him into believing the king and queen of another nation had the gall to kill the woman. In response, his grieving brother guts that couple, leaving their son, not yet fit to rule, in charge, and he wants blood. As a result of all of this, there's an ugly prejudice against younger children in your western neighbors that I've heard about. Nowadays, a city gets sacked and then five women get murdered, and their grieving husbands launch warships! All of this because some damn nobles of our country got a little greedy!" He then questioned, "Doesn't it get tired, watching as we sentient species tear each other apart? Wouldn't it be better for the world if there weren't people?"

"And that lead you to murdering every person in this fortress?" Janiya scowled. "I understand you're an Argelian soldier, and your goal is to defeat us… but this bloodshed is overkill! You didn't even leave a soul alive!"

"My men and I don't take prisoners," the crusader answered.

"Wait," the male genie said. "That's not what you told me! You have my pot right there!"

"Who said I'm taking you as a prisoner?" the crusader questioned. He then punched the genie in his stomach, and then, while the genie was winded. He then, rather unceremoniously, extended his arm and dropped the pot. Elahe's eyes widened, especially as the pot slammed into the ground, and shattered while the crusader and several of their men raised their golden shields.

Elahe slammed her hands on the ground with a magic circle. Before Janiya, Caspar, or Payam could even begin to question why, a thick brick barricade began to form around all four of them. "Brace yourselves," Elahe told them, "because this is NOT going to be enough to prevent this from hurting a lot!"

"What?" Janiya questioned. She then heard dry heaving, and looked to see the male genie on the ground, coughing way harder than what was necessary for a punch to the stomach. However, his glowing eyes were now completely black. Also, his bracelets were suddenly digging into his wrists, and blood was dripping out of them. He soon began to grab his head, while his skin became an eerie purple. The bracelets practically melted into his wrists, and the genie let loose a hellish scream. Janiya, mere moments before Elahe's impromptu barrier became too high for her to see him anymore, whipped out Hova, and unleashed a powerful wind spell, knocking the poor genie further away from them.

Once Elahe's brick wall was complete, she then pushed Janiya into Payam's arms, sending them tumbling down into an awkward position, while she herself knelt down, and dragged Caspar and buried his face into her bosom. This was seconds before a white magic circle erupted beneath the four of them.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

"Made it," Yasmin panted, the Rescue staff losing its glow. The four looked up, the boys awkwardly blushing while the girls sat away from them, and Janiya looked up at the worried face of Yasmin alongside both of her pegasus knights. Also, Benyamin and Ziba were there, Ziba timidly holding a staff and sitting on a small camel while her big brother was holding a black tome.

"What in Rerci's name was THAT explosion?" Benyamin questioned, looking at the black and purple dust and the small pile of bricks where Elahe's wall once stood. When the smoke cleared, the crusader responsible for this mess and his forces were fine, surrounded by a magical barrier as their shields had a glowing hue to them. When the glow faded, the shield died. But standing in front of them was a sickly sight.

"Is that… a ghoul!?" Ziba asked, directing her camel behind her older brother. Kneeling on the ground was the young genie man. But his body had changed. His skin was now completely purple with several red symbols decorating his skin, and his now coal black eyes were pupiless. Thick saliva dripped out of his mouth through his sharpened teeth, and down his chin. His fingernails and toenails sharpened into long, thick claws.

"Yes," Elahe said, shivering. "A ghoul! Gods… so that's what truly happens to a djinn that is bound, but has their object destroyed! I didn't think I'd see it!"

"Wait, what are ghouls!?" Rosetta asked. "Em?"

"Any genie's soul can be bound to any object by using their blood plus an enchantment spell," Emerald explained to her sister, keeping her reins in a firm hold. "When that happens, whoever holds the djinn's object is their master, and the genie is forces to do whatever the master desires in order to protect the object. Including granting wishes. Some masters are benevolent. Some are cruel. But regardless, the genie has to do whatever their master wants, unless they risk their object being destroyed. If a genie's object is destroyed… well, the genie's soul may be completely destroyed. How quickly it happens depends on the genie's strength. Some are instant. Others, meanwhile, take time… long enough for the genie to bind themselves to another object or kill themselves, if they desire. But if the soul is destroyed, it leaves the body. And that becomes a ghoul, a living corpse running on magic that eats humanoid beings' flesh."

"...So, zombies, but they can't make more of them, easily?" Yasmin questioned.

"Well, that's one way to put it, m'lady," Emerald said. "Still, stay back. When one ghoul is born… more come, quickly."

"Actually, it's a good thing Lady Yasmin's here," Elahe said, summoning her carpet. "You're an Enchanter, right?" Yasmin nodded. "Good… because right now, we could use some light magic, and I don't know how many ghouls will come out!"

"And me being a dark mage doesn't exactly help, does it?" Benyamin frowned.

"Actually," Elahe said, "it could. You know, you have more than dark magic, which while it's good for facing the standard elements of magic, does poorly against light. But light does poorly against the standard magic."

"So, if the ghoul or the allies it's going to call use regular magic… that's where I come in," Benyamin said. "Alright. Ziba, stay back. You're not equipped for the front lines, but me and your cousins will protect you."

"Okay," Ziba said. "But what if he goes for the others, first?" It was at this point that the ghoul finally let loose a nightmarish bellow, and turned towards the Argelian commander. He lit up his shield again, and the ghoul hissed when he ran his hands across the metal, only for smoke to erupt from him.

"Orichalcum," Elahe said. "Magic-resistant… and in large quantities, direct exposure can be poisonous to djinns."

Janiya, meanwhile, looked around while the sky began darkening. "Everyone… be ready!" she said. As if on cue, several clouds of purple mist showed themselves. When the mist clouds faded, they turned into more ghouls. She drew her sword. One the ghouls charged her, but the princess was ready, and slashed her attacker's claws. But to Janiya's surprise, the claws were as strong as her swords. Luckily for her, an Ellight spell was flung forward, slamming into the undead being, and burning the dead body away. She looked to see her older sister tiredly closing her book. Spotting another ghoul prowling up to her sister, Janiya jumped over her sister and blocked it before brandishing Hova and blasting it back with the wind spell. Yasmin made sure the ghoul was dead by blasting her body away with an Ellight spell. "Sis?"

"I… I'll be fine," Yasmin said. "More importantly, be careful. Ordinary melee attacks are going to be met with resistance, Janiya. Their claws are practically tiny swords! But luckily, Father should be on his way!"

"That's good news," Janiya frowned. Emerald, meanwhile, spotted something. The crusader leading the Argelians had emerged from the ravaged fortress.

"M'lady, that Argelian commander is coming!" the older pegasus knight called out, throwing a javelin into one of the ghouls. "What do we do!?"

"We don't have time to fight both the Argelian AND the mess he made…." Janiya said through gritted teeth.

"Not to mention," Payam said, shooting a ghoul in the head and killing it with his bow, "I don't think we can take him. Templars and their far more experienced counterparts Guardians and Crusaders are known for being able to resist and kill magi AND djinn! Your magic isn't going to work, easily."

"Then what do we do…?" Janiya questioned. She saw Benyamin shoot a ghoul away with an Elfire spell.

"What else, cousins?" Benyamin answered. "Keep fighting, and pray to Rerci that Uncle Darius gets here soon."

"Holding out for someone?" the commander asked. "That won't save you. Whether it's these ghouls or my Neo Crusaders… you will all die, today. How can one person change anything?"

"You don't know my father, then?" Janiya smirked. "Kind of a shame for you, then. Father's got a reputation." As if on cue, the skies grew darker than they were before the first ghoul transformed. As well as the rumble of thunder… and the fall of rain. Despite the sudden stormy weather, none of the Cruibians were panicking. Especially not Janiya and Yasmin. In fact, the former was grinning from ear to ear.

"You Cruibians must be madder than I thought," the commander said. "Not trying to run or get out of the rain?"

"And miss seeing Pillansufa in action?" Janiya asked, slashing a ghoul. "Please… I always wanted to see Father truly fight!"

 _ **CRACKOOOOOOOM!**_

Riding on the field on his camel in front of several Cruibian soldiers, King Darius Madani stormed in, but he wasn't alone. A rather handsome, muscular, tan skinned man was with him. He had messy, sand brown hair, piercing gray eyes, and stood about 5'9". He wore clean white battle garb beneath his also white lamellar armor that had not the Cruibian symbol, but the blue mockingbird symbol of the infamous House Il-Hazaad.

"It seems stopping by to get your troops was a good idea, Captain," Darius breathed. He looked to see a pair of ghouls approaching them, and casually got off his camel. He then drew a long, bright blue metal scimitar that had several sparks of yellow electricity shooting out of it. Before the ghoul could claw at him, Darius swung his blade. The claws, once capable of blocking his own daughter's quick sword swings, practically burned away at contact, before he cleaved through the ghoul, slicing it in half. The captain, meanwhile, brandished his lance, twirled it with both power and accuracy, and blocked the claws of his ghoul before pushing back and impaling it through the bottom of the head and slamming it down.

"Glad to be of service on the battlefield, Your Majesty," the captain said. "It's where I truly shine… not playing diplomat."

"Oh my gods, he's speaking my language," Janiya smirked.

"Girls, nephew, niece, are you alright?" Darius called.

"We're better now that you and those guys are here, Father!" Yasmin said. Wringing the bottom of her dress out, she complained, "I just wish I had something a bit more weather friendly."

"And people wonder why I wear pants AND leather armor," Janiya said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Sorry about the storm, Yasmin," Darius said. "But I wanted to make an entrance." He then pointed his sword at another ghoul, and shot out a bolt of electricity, frying it. "Alright, enough banter… and enough storm." He raised his sword, stopping the rain, but not the thunder. He then turned to the captain. "Captain Il-Hazaad, head over to my girls, and get to work. Let them know what you told me. I'll hold off the Argelian commander."

"Got it," the captain said, heading over to Janiya and Yasmin while Darius turned his sword at the commander, and shot a bolt of lightning at it. The commander, predictably, blocked it.

"Hail, Captain," Janiya said. "Nice to see Father pulling out some heavy artillery."

"Captain Saiduq Il-Hazaad. I believe we met, once, ladies."

"Wasn't your mother once trying to get me to marry you?" Yasmin said.

"And making a very, very terrible case about it," Saiduq said. "Seriously, we're the warriors of Cruibia, we hate politics. Besides, you have your heart on a Poswali man, and I'm not exactly 'good husband' material."

"You'd be to Janiya if she wasn't with Payam," Elahe said after hitting a ghoul with a Light spell.

"I have a wind tome," Janiya said.

"Threat acknowledged."

"Furthermore, if I wasn't being involved in this whole 'training to be temporary crown princess' thing, I'd probably be training under his command."

"And there's a stigma about dating the XO," the captain finished. Saiduq continued, "Anyway, enough small talk. I heard that just the other day, an orichalcum-made blade was found by the commander of this fortress. I was coming with the king to convince the commander to give it to you girls, but… well, I don't think talking to him is an option much longer."

"Yeah," Janiya said. "Any idea if the blade was already found by the Argelians?"

"No, I knew the commander. He would have it hidden, most likely in his office."

"So we have to get through a bunch of templars to get to this sword," Payam said.

"Sorry, but that's the breaks," Saiduq said. "Speaking of breaks, I'm sure the ghoul's transformation damaged the walls of the fortress. A bit of pressure, you can knock a hole big enough for you to squeeze through. Get right past the templars."

"Then we need to get going," Janiya said. "You all hold them off, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Saiduq said. "Normally, I'm in command, but this once, I'll follow you."

Turning to her little cousin, Janiya asked, "Ziba, room for one more?"

"Sure," Ziba said, scooting forward to allow Janiya to jump on. The camel was quickly directed towards the fortress, Janiya using her sword to slice down any ghouls that were unfortunate enough to come near her little cousin as they rode. Once Janiya was near a damaged wall, Janiya leapt off the camel, and aimed her hand at the wall. She then fired a spell from Hova into the wall, blowing it apart. Sure enough, on the other side was the commander's office.

"Now to grab the sword," Janiya said, looking around.

"Janiya…?" Ziba asked.

The princess looked up to see an Argelian templar standing in the way. Janiya instinctively grabbed her cousin's camel by his reins, and dragged him and Ziba away from the door. She endured a shallow cut across the back of her armor, but with a grunt, blocked his second swing, and returned with her own swing, slashing at one of the weak spots her father taught her in templar armor. While the templar recoiled at the slash, he was then caught by a lance in another vital area, killing him. Saiduq smirked while Ziba healed her cousin.

"Thank you," Ziba smiled.

"Don't thank me, yet," Saiduq advised. "Still more fighting to be done. There are flying ghouls, now, so your sister and your boyfriend is giving them a warm welcome!"

"Payam isn't my boyfriend!" Janiya denied, albeit with a small blush.

"I think you two would look great next to each other at the reception!" Yasmin called in. She then yelped as she was pulled back from being racked by one of the ghoul's claws by Benyamin, who then blasted it with magic.

"Alright, enough screwing around," Saiduq ordered. "Hurry up, and get the damn sword, princess!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Janiya said, turning back towards the office and looking around. "What about you?"

"Don't you know?" Saiduq questioned. "I'm the White Sand Devil. Not too often have my enemies touched me, and my own blood never has shed on my armor!" He then rushed towards the battle, lance in hand.

Ziba directed her eyes away from the fighting, and turned towards her cousin, rummaging around the remains of the commander's desk. Janiya then found a key, and looked at a nearby chest, and curiously opened it. In it was a sheathed blade. Pulling it from its plain white sheath, the princess and her cousin bared witness to the shining, golden kabila, the metal definitely the oricalchum in the templars' shields. The hilt was a vibrant silver steel wrapped in blue fabric to relax the grip.

Janiya was pretty sure this was the sword. To her, it just screamed "Djinnbane". If Sizah was truly a djinn demigoddess, and She was after Cruibia for whatever Janiya's mother did, the young princess knew this was perhaps the only thing that she could use to stop Her.

Janiya resheathed the sword, and she and Ziba headed outside to help the others. Janiya saw her father in an intense sword duel with the Argelian commander, surprising the younger masked man by how quick his sword swings were and the intensity of Pillansufa. However, the younger man wasn't without skill, therefore the two were pretty even. The two barely paid any attention to their mutual enemy, the ghouls. Not that it really mattered, since Darius was often so quick with his sword and the commander had his orichalcum armor, that the ghouls that decided to try attacking them were almost immediately cut down by the two of them.

"Lady Janiya, are you alright?" Elahe asked. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Janiya nodded, and unsheathed the sword. Elahe yelped. "Is that… an orichalcum sword!?"

"Oh, right, you're a genie, too," Janiya said. "Well, don't worry. I WON'T be pointing it at you, Elahe." As if on cue, another ghoul rushed towards Janiya, trying to claw at her. This time when she swung her sword, the sword sliced through the undead djinn's claws, mist flying from them… and then sliced the djinn's chest open. While more dark mist rose from the new wound, Janiya took this opportunity to stab the djinn in the chest, ending that fight, and left a very nasty burn on the body.

"And that's why I DON'T like orichalcum," Elahe said, floating down on her carpet. She flung a light spell to slay one more ghoul, but she then said, "The metal resists and absorbs magic, but is toxic to genies. Smalls bits can weaken us, but direct exposure to large quantities can burn us away… leave wounds not even magical accelerated healing can fix."

"I guess that means the Empire has a surplus of orichalcum," Caspar noted. "I've heard that most of their slave caste consists of bound genies. It would take a lot or oricalchum to hold them."

"And a lot of time, considering how much orichalcum is used in Bagedzi's barriers to resist magical attacks," Janiya said after killing the last of the ghouls. After doing so, they looked to see their father and the Argelian commander, their swords still clashing. "Father!"

"Your Majesty," Saiduq said while Darius jumped back towards his family, "the ghouls are dealt with, and your daughters are safe. My men even scored a few Argelian kills, today."

"Good," Darius nodded. "Now, what to do about you, Commander Cesani, the Argelian Nightmare of Cruibia?"

"Commander Cecani?" Janiya and Yasmin both repeated, confused.

"So, at least one of you knows my reputation," the commander smirked. "Yes, I am Casval Cesani, Commander of the Argelian Neo-Crusaders. I take it you're the Cruibian King and family?"

"Yes, I am King Darius Madani of Cruibia, and you've met my daughters, Yasmin and Janiya. You and your remaining men may have destroyed this fortress, but you will NOT be winning any more victories, today."

"Good to know the leader of my enemies," Casval grinned. "So, how soon do you expect to be reunited with your wife? Or should my men and I send your children to meet their mother, first?" Darius and Janiya both scowled.

"I suggest you leave, Cecani," Darius said. "I have several times the men and women that were in this fortress with me on their way. Once they know they're fighting templars, then they'll be ready. You will NOT be leaving if they beat you here."

Yasmin, being the calm Madani, said, "Good sir, more than enough blood has been shed, here! Why did you attack this fortress? Why did you kill everyone here, and then unleash a ghoul plague!? There's no purpose to all of this! Surely we can be civil!"

"Has anyone told you that you're naïve?" Casval questioned. "Over 5,000 years ago, there were two folks—a male manakete who saw forging human tools was a good pastime, and a genie farm girl who smuggled her way west right into the manakete's path—thought they could change the world together. They even made a child of their two worlds. A well-intended, but naïve thought at the time. The manaketes and djinn weren't ready to consider hybrids. And the girl Herself was foolish to think She could walk between the two paths… Her neutrality caused millions, both innocent and war-hungry, to die. And humanity blamed Her, as they rightfully should. I only thank Her for briefly combing away most of the filth that infests our world… until I remember that this supposed miracle worker, who was eventually revered as some type of saint in your continent, has never shown the same mercy or compassion to Argelia, let alone make endless resources. You, young lady, are making a colossal mistake by meeting my sword, clenched in fist, with an open palm and flowers."

"...So," Janiya scowled, "you're with the Chaos djinn, Sizah!"

"Sizah?" Darius asked, his eyes wide.

"My dear girl," Casval shrugged, "I have no clue as to whom you're talking about." Janiya blinked in confusion. "But if this Sizah is sowing chaos throughout Cruibia, well, I thank her for culling the herd… and I will have to see who can destroy your pitiful nation, first. Perhaps the Emperor Consort and Supreme Commander Nika will finally back off on the 'apparent ruthlessness of the Neo Crusaders' once he sees the Cruiban royals' heads on pikes, finishing what his mistress started when she killed your precious Orobian queens."

Janiya's glare sharpened at the threat, and she whipped out Hova. She was surrounded by a magic circle. Yasmin screamed, "Janiya, no!"

It was too late, as Janiya unleashed a monstrous yell, followed by a huge tornado, heading straight for Casval. He responded by raising his shield, and his barrier raised up. The force of the wind shook the entire desert, making quite a few of her allies gasp (Benyamin, Payam, and Emerald) and even some (Rosetta, Elahe, Yasmin, and Ziba) scream. Yet, despite the powerful storm, Casval stood his ground.

Similar to how he initially approached Darius, he slowly pushed through the storm. Yet unlike Darius' calm, controlled lightning bolt beam, Janiya's whirlwind was chaotic and blinded by emotion. His approach became somewhat faster, and he even drew his sword. Darius, sensing his daughter's danger, drew his own sword…

 _ **CLANG!**_

Janiya's eyes widened, and she looked to see her father standing in front of her, using his sword to redirect Casval's sword from her heart. Then, the sting of pain and the warmth of blood came when she looked to see her upper left arm had been severely wounded. It was at that point, Janiya dropped Hova, and after Darius forced Casval back, fell to her knees and clutched her wound through gritted teeth.

"M'lady!" Caspar called while rushing towards her, staff drawn.

Payam, meanwhile, had a far more stoic and direct response. He drew his arrow, and let it fly. Casval caught it mere inches from his mask, and smirked. However, Payam responded by shooting a second arrow. This one missed Casval completely, and instead stabbed an approaching soldier.

Darius' response, however, was the most overt. He slashed the ground between him and Casval, resulting in an eruption of lightning blocking him off. Casval frowned, but sheathed his sword.

"Very well," he said. "I'll retreat for the time being. I'll have plenty of chances to fix this mistake." He then turned to his remaining troops, and said, "Neo-Haçlılar, biz Cruibians'ı dünyadaki bir yanılsama olarak statülerini yansıtmaya bırakacağız!" His troops saluted, before they all left, and all Janiya could do was growl as her sister, cousin, and retainer took turns caring for her.

* * *

 **Cruibian-Ustrosi Border—A Few Minutes Before the End of the Battle**

Sizah walked into Cruibia for the first time since her return, hauling alongside her a certain manakete with messy green hair, ragged clothes, a collar around her neck, small cuts adorning her body, and glazed blue eyes.

"We are finally in Cruibia, Mistress," Megtra droned. "Your purge of the heathens who foolishly worship dragonic beings like Rerci can truly begin."

"Good," Sizah smirked while looking around. She then sniffed the air. "Ugh… damn ghouls being unleashed. I know that feeling… and the irony of the punishment." Summoning her wyrmslayer, she sighed, "I miss my old sword. It could make much better cuts through those manakete scales in full dragon mode than this one. Still is poison to their flesh, but nowhere near as good as this one." As if to prove her point, she made a small cut on Megtra, who flinched, but did not cry out.

"Y-Yes, Mistress," Megtra whimpered.

"Now, then," Sizah said, magicing away her sword to get out an astral plate. She looked at the plate, and spotted Cubes still at work. "I see Cubes is still standing… that means Adeeb, working with the Thieves Guild, failed. I'll deal with him, later… but that doesn't mean I can't try again with the Guild. They may be incompetent, but they're useful fodder until I can get more disciples. Speaking of which… where is the nearest djinn village, my slave?"

"I smell djinn blood about 500 kilometers south of here, Mistress," Megtra said. "It will take a couple days to travel, there."

"Bloody hell, nobody wants to walk that," Sizah said. "Fine… turn into your dragoness form, and we'll fly there."

"Mistress… I'm tired, sore, hungry, and it is nearing sunset," Megtra said. "My transformations take up a LOT of energy that I… I just don't have. Can't I rest until the morning?"

 _ **SMACK!**_

"I gave you an order, dragon!" Sizah scowled to the cowering Megtra. "Should I start cutting your greedy little fingers off, scavenger?"

"N-No, please…" Megtra cried. "I know I'm a filthy scavenger dragon… I know I'm pathetic… I know it's a sin for me to be alive…."

"Then repent for your sin by obeying me," Sizah said. "And change… now." Before she could, a massive whirlwind erupted in the middle of the desert, the force of the wind ruffling Sizah's pants and Megtra's rags. "...This wind…" Sizah said.

"Mistress, it's highly ill-advised to risk flying with winds like this," Megtra said.

"Shut-up!" Sizah spat, slapping Megtra again. She then watched the sudden storm disperse almost as quickly as it came. There was also an eruption of lightning. She then grinned. "Well… it seems House Madani hasn't burned your damn book, Gargec," the genie woman said. "Those foolish heretics… and it seems someone is able to take up the tome. Quite the far cry from Darius. They'll get their just desserts, soon. For now, I have a few people I need to meet." She then turned to the crying Megtra, and ordered, "Well, what are you waiting for, an invitation? I wanted to be talking with Muazi YESTERDAY!"

"...Y-Yes, Mistress."

"Very good," Sizah grinned while Megtra turned into her dragon form. Sizah then climbed aboard the dragon's head, and held her wyrmslayer to Megtra's neck. "Now, get moving… I need to make a call to cover my tracks until I get to the genies."

* * *

 **Town of Cubes, Duke's Residence—Two Hours Later**

"You're incredibly lucky, young lady," Kamyar scolded his niece, who was only wearing a loose, sleeveless white shirt that cut off above her bandaged midriff and a pair of blue shorts while he bandaged her arm wound, "to be alive."

"Yes, Uncle Kamyar," Janiya dryly nodded. She yelped when he pulled on the bandage. "That's a little too tight, don't you think, Uncle!?"

"None of the sass!" Kamyar said while Etti came in. "I don't care if you outrank me on the political totem pole because you're a princess. You're still my niece. And as your uncle, I get to nitpick your recklessness under my watch! For instance, between running to a fortress under siege, confronting the Nightmare of Cruibia instead of running, a ghoul's transformation, a horde of ghouls, and letting this Argelian commander push your Mom button and your desire for revenge… you're lucky your father and sister were there to save you! Speaking of your father, he's going to give me all kinds of hell for letting you run off to fight not only brigands, but actual Argelian soldiers, half-trained! What in Rerci's name has gotten into you!? You're a princess, not a military commander!"

"Princess or not, I couldn't ignore this!" Janiya argued. "How would Mother react if she found out one of her old enemies was unsealed, and most likely declaring war on her home nation!?"

"Old enemy?" Kamyar questioned, looking at Etti.

"It's my fault, really," Etti admitted, scanning the finished bandage. "Lucky for you, the sword missed major arteries and bone, but the stab was awfully deep. I suggest you don't try to channel magic through your arm for a while." Turning to her husband, she asked, "How much do you remember Sizah?"

"That crazy genie woman chasing you for nearly two years back during the war?" Kamyar asked. Etti nodded.

"The same," Etti sighed. Turning to her niece, she said, "When King Darius declared war on Poswa over the death of your paternal grandparents and issued a draft, your uncle was brought into the army. Worried that your father would get your uncle and by extension the only family she had left since your maternal grandparents died young killed, your mother insisted we cut our treasure hunting gig short to get back to your uncle. Seeing as I've always had feelings for Kamyar Tarokh, Farah and Minoo had always been best friends, Adre didn't want another east vs. west war affecting the manaketes as much as anyone else did, and Kalia was a martial pacifist, it was unanimous. But we took a detour to gather one last round of treasure, hoping to attempt to bribe your father into making it so your uncle. That's when we first encountered Sizah… and she started trying to kill us."

"I'm not sure that bribe would have worked at the point I was," Darius said, he and Yasmin walking in. "I think we've finally calmed down Ziba for you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kamyar said.

"We're brothers, in a way," Darius said. "I did sleep with your sister… on multiple ocassions."

"Too much information, Father," Janiya shuddered.

"You don't get to chastise me for my actions and word choices, today," Darius said, making Janiya frown. Turning to his in-laws, he sighed, "I was angry at Sultan Wisaam, and I vowed to do whatever it took to get revenge for my family. I crossed lines that I'm not proud of… even nearly killing one young man for the sins of his father who was deceived by said father's brother, and sending countless more to their deaths. It took Minoo almost literally smacking some sense back into me that I realized what I had done, and vowed to rule a lot better. I've… had trouble with that, as of late. As for Sizah, well… that's a different beast. You're sure she's back, Etti?"

"It explains the details of your daughter's vision," Etti said. "White haired djinn woman, most likely an ifrit, wearing purple and black, has a tendency to carry wyrmslayers, and really has the desire to destroy Rerci and all who follow Her, starting with Cruibia? Unless Sizah stopped to get pregnant with a hidden daughter or she managed to inspire some crazed copycat, I think it's safe to assume someone dug up her hiding place."

"Then the kingdom is in lockdown when we get back to Bagedzi," Darius decided. Janiya and Yasmin both gasped. "Girls, it's bad enough that I have to contend with that Argelian commander. But I can't push him back, deal with Sizah, and protect you all at the same time."

"Father, what about my wedding!?" Yasmin questioned.

"Then take this opportunity to get Ebony, and send a message to Prince Sulaiman that unforeseen circumstances have made any chance to come to Cruibia to properly immigrate him has to suspended," Darius said. "And the wedding may have to be delayed. We already said it wouldn't be for a few months, anyway, and there's too much at-risk already without dragging your mother's best friend's son into this!" Yasmin frowned. "I'm sorry, Yasmin, but Sizah had repeatedly tried to kill your mother, your aunt, and their friends for YEARS. Once she figures out that you're Minoo's daughters, she'll come after you. Especially so once she finds out what the two of you girls have."

"Wait, are you talking about Hova and Yasmin's necklace?" Janiya questioned. "Hova, I get… it's a legendary spellbook that was supposedly caused an angry genie woman to curse a young Cruibia with a drought, but why Yasmin's necklace?"

"In actuality," the king said, "I think Sizah WAS the angry genie woman who cursed Cruibia." The girls gasped. "Let me tell you girls the truth about our family… and Hova. That old man who helped the first Madani King in exchange for protecting Hova, the ancient magic tome of wind? That was no ordinary old man. That was a manakete, and not just any manakete. That was the manakete who is perhaps the reason why Orobia had an ancient war between dragons and genies. Gargec."

"Gargec!?" both girls questioned.

"You're talking about not just Rerci's father, but the forger of the Seal of Flames, a lamp capable of housing a great amount of magic?" Yasmin questioned. "The legendary Smith Dragon who supposedly betrayed his race by pursuing a forbidden romance with the Harvest Djinn Awdue, having a child who was half-manakete, half-genie, and hiding the truth of her identity from humans who prophesied that a dragon gifted with great magical power would bring ruin to Orobia? The same one who in response to this prophecy, made the Seal of Flames: the Fire Emblem? The one who supposedly made a group of powerful ancient weapons during a labor of 1,001 nights!? That same Gargec!?"

"...I think you're drooling, Yasmin," Janiya said.

"I'm sorry, but it's amazing to find out that our family once did business with and even had been given two legendary treasures personally forged by Rerci's father!" Yasmin said with practically a bounce. "Sure, it's terrible that this business has indirectly made Cruibia the target of one of Gargec's oldest enemies, and even worse discovering Mother had somehow antagonized this enemy, but it's an honor! Just once in my life, I'd wish to meet Gargec and hear how he fell for Lady Awdue…."

"Calm yourself, sister," Janiya said. "We still don't know how your necklace ties into this!"

"Oh, that's easy," Yasmin said. "It's a part of the Fire Emblem." Janiya gasped in awe.

"Wait… your necklace is the Fire Emblem!?" Janiya questioned. "How do you come to that conclusion!?"

"Only a PART of the Fire Emblem," Yasmin corrected, "and easy. The Fire Emblem, in the legends, was shattered into fragments by the humans who captured and sealed away Rerci. Due to the intense magic used to create and enchant it, it couldn't be destroyed through conventional means. It could only be fractured… and even the fragments have enough power to create small miracles. Like Mother's visions… and now, my visions. The stories claim that the full Emblem is one of the only ways one could free Rerci from her eternal prison. If Sizah has a grudge against Rerci, it makes sense She'd do ANYTHING to see the Emblem destroyed for good. Considering how protective of a father Gargec has been claimed to be, He would have tried to create other means to break His daughter out… most likely Hova, considering how He entrusted it into our family's care."

"Very solid theory, Yasmin," Darius chuckled. "You're about as smart as your mother, you know."

"Okay," Janiya said, getting up. "So, let's run with this theory. So, Sizah, an ancient genie with a blood feud against Rerci, is going to be coming after us because we have 1) Mother's blood in our veins, 2) Father's blood in our veins, 3) a legendary weapon forged by Rerci's father, 4) a fragment of the greatest treasure in Orobia, if not the entire world, and 5) an idea of her goals. Sounds to me we've angered someone just by EXISTING. Question though: How the heck does the Romani girl tie into this?"

"Romani girl?" Darius questioned. "What Romani girl?"

"Oh, right," Janiya said. "Father, before the wedding had to be delayed because of Sizah, Yasmin found herself enthralled with this blue-haired woman, clearly a Roma. According to that Guaril fellow, she was his daughter, and her name was 'Tawni'… Yasmin hired her for wedding entertainment."

"Well, as long as they don't steal everything that's not nailed down," Darius sighed. "But next time, try to discuss with me before you make a decision like this, Yasmin."

"Yes, Father," Yasmin sighed, looking down.

"But seriously, how does the Romani girl tie in?" Kamyar questioned. "I thought only to repay my debt to Guaril."

"If I had to guess," Yasmin said, "it's that Miss Tawni, whether she knows it or not, has a fragment of the Fire Emblem herself. How else could she activate my power without using great magic like Aunt Etti did?"

"And that is why I didn't go with my children to resolve this," Etti said. "I poured a lot of my magic into helping Yasmin figure out what would happen to her sister… and that drained me, and nearly her."

"Yasmin, don't force the fragment to work with you," Darius advised. "Let it come naturally."

"But Father, don't you want to know the truth about why Mother died that night?" Yasmin questioned. "The sooner I figure it out…!"

"You may hurt yourself," Darius replied. "It's bad enough Janiya nearly got herself killed no less than three times, today… I can't imagine you two getting hurt over our family's name!"

"Then toughen up, Father," Janiya said. Darius looked over to where Janiya had walked over to… her armor and weapons. Pulling on her overshirt, she said, "Father, the fate of Cruibia now rests in our hands. Sooner or later, we're going to have to fight, bleed… maybe even die. But Cruibia needs US on the front lines, leading it into its future. There was once a time where I let getting sick get to me, and now, my sister's engaged to a boy I would have better known had I taken better care of myself! I let my anger get to me, and I was stabbed! But if I let getting stabbed get to me, I'd be a terrible soldier. I'm going to keep fighting, for my country's sake! And if Sizah is making herself an enemy of Cruibia… then sooner or later, we'll have to meet her and fight her!"

"...So that's your resolve," Darius said. "Very well. But at least, Janiya, rest for a bit, and then train with Commander Il-Hazad. You'll need it."

"Yes, sir," Janiya saluted.

"I'll help you," Yasmin said. "And I'm sure the others will, too. We're all Cruibian… we'll stand together, Sister."

"Then you two need to work hard," Darius advised. "If it is Sizah... we'll need to be ready for her should she ever get back to full-strength."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: There you have it! Janiya's chapter has gone on, right away.

Special thanks to LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green for the characters Casval and Saiduq. I'm sorry if you wanted the two to be introduced separately, but I liked Casval, and Janiya could use a mentor character like Saiduq training her, considering how the two would rather meet their problems head-on than sit in a room and talk. I was also informed that the characters have themes... not that I really used them, but if you want to go back and listen to them, look for Casval and listen to "Gundam Unicorn OST: Neo Zeon", and for Saiduq, "Hunter x Hunter OST: Legend of the Martial Artist", respectively.

Speaking of characters, while they didn't physically appear in this chapter, two of Consort's characters were mentioned. The married manakete couple, Derrim and Topal. Special thanks to Consort for giving me the idea of having a manakete.

As for this chapter, as you saw, Janiya is joined by her cousins Benyamin and Ziba, who are a dark mage and a troubadour, respectively. Yes, I know, I need to give someone (Tawni) a healer, but I figured keep a Maria archetype alive. As for Benyamin, he's a DAMN skilled dark mage, and although his dark magic is not exactly the most useful for this chapter, he can sling some mad curses like his Father could back in his heyday. Anyway, Dark Mages can promote to Sorcerer and gain daggers and staves for healing OR a Dark Knight and gain a mount and swords. Sorry, but Benyamin can't be a Dark Flier, pegasi don't like him. Meanwhile, his Troubadour sister, if you guys remember what I said for Caspar, that is pretty much where she is. Emerald is another Pegasus Knight, but at a higher level than her sister Rosetta. Finally, and I don't know if Saiduq should actually JOIN Janiya (because I already have a unit who is pretty much Saiduq's same class on the way), but he's a pre-promoted Captain, a lance and sword-wielding badass, Saiduq in particular specializing in lances.

Now, for the ghouls: I know, there are plenty of undead enemies in the _Fire Emblem_ franchise already I probably could have used (Terrors, Risen, Faceless, just to name a few), so why the hell did I make undead genies? Simple: when I was making the genie classes for _Night of Tales,_ I looked up types of genies, and read about ghouls being a genie type. At first, I brushed off the idea of ever using this type of genie, thinking it was stupid to have ghouls. But then I realized I had no real punishment for those bound genies who let their bound object be destroyed apart from dying in absolute agony. But then I thought about it, and said, "These poor characters are already going to be dealing with death a lot, so I need something terrifying to avoid desensitizing to it". And then, I came up with this: a fate worse than death, so to speak. And now, we have ghouls.

Finally, before you ask, NO, Casval is NOT going to be Janiya's big bad. Right now, he gets a karma houdini, but he'll contend with Darius. Unfortunately, Sizah is Janiya's primary focus, but she WON'T forget Casval, who will be a major player in Cruibia's arc. Who knows? Maybe we'll see him cameo in another character's story.

But for now, onto reviews.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, Sulaiman's luck kind of flip flops like that... he's engaged to a woman who actually looks past a huge stigma in his country and gets a new ally who used to be an enemy's henchman, but Zahar finds out about the engagement EARLY, and is now trying to thwart the wedding out of some insane paranoia and a colossal stigma. But the mystery is what will be Zahar's move?

 **ZenoZen:** You may have a bit of a point that I'm being WAY too hard on Sulaiman... but it's mainly because of an in-universe tradition that second-born or even third-borns in nobility are not to be trusted. You'd find out later, but western Orobia used to be ruled by the manakete clans, who were all about power and prestige. An infamous betrayal of one of these manaketes by his younger brother led to a great war that destroyed most of ancient Orobia. Western Orobian humans later found out about this betrayal, and at first thought it just a bad combination of paranoia, lust for power, and a desire for mayhem. However, later down the line, OTHER younger noblemen, whether out of hatred, lust for power, or greed, betrayed their own older family members. This resulted in a tradition of "if you're in-line for a position of power, expect to be betrayed by your younger sibling if they TOO are in-line", resulting in a lot of familial in-fighting.

The most recent example of this, which Duke Zahar grew up during, was Prince Aseel betraying his older twin brother Sultan Wisaam. Duke Zahar, fearing that Sulaiman is a few steps away from repeating a rather unpleasant bit of history, is impulsively enacting on this, and happens to have a great deal of support. Keep in mind, in previous _Fire Emblem_ games, not every noble/playable lord was popular amongst their own court and only had a few allies they could rely on (Sigurd and Ephraim, mainly), and Sulaiman just happens to be in their boat, but tries harder to be diplomatic in a scenario where diplomacy... is hard pressed to work.

As for Howe, he's not exactly extremely popular in-universe. In fact, Piper and Anna are his closest two friends, and while Piper stays because she has a crush on him, Anna is a good friend, yet admits his antics are a bit too much for her at times (although she DID let him sleep with her twin sister). Keyon only tolerates being with Howe because he now has no choice, and Adem hasn't been around Howe long enough to form a solid opinion. Everyone else aboard the _Dove_ hated having Howe aboard the past two years, only tolerating him because he was their best (and sometimes, ONLY) helmsman. Meanwhile, aboard the _Eccentric,_ Howe was only let free because Captain Sema Aksoy finds him attractive and somewhat sees his value. Nika himself only approved of Sema's decision because, well, he's desperate to have gotten the position filled... and lucky for Argelia, Howe just so happens to be surprisingly good at his job. Ugur, meanwhile, is frustrated that Howe wasted Zrisse and the two will form strong opinions about each other that may interfere with work. Finally, with the other three lords, they've heard about a captain fitting his description, but none of them really speak praise about him.

Finally, Aladdin... yeah, he's interesting and a show-stealer. Yes, he's willing to make deals behind his brother's back, but only because Zahar is an influential noble with several soldiers that could be used in the war against Argelia, and getting rid of him without solid proof of betrayal means less swords against the enemy, and more towards the rest of the main House Nejem, which NOBODY wants. So, yes, Aladdin tolerates his brother's tormentor simply out of pragmatism.

 **Ike:** Well, I didn't want to address your question because... well, if I did, it'd be spoiling. Anyway, yeah, I think Sulaiman isn't the most popular protagonist in this story. I'm not going to stop trying with him, however. Howe, meanwhile, surprised me with his popularity with others, considering what will happen with him later on, and how he's currently a villain protagonist. But Aladdin, in his own way, does look out for Sulaiman.

 **Consort:** Yeah, I know, the Big Bad is pretty much hard to pin down. Sure, each character DOES have a villain (Tawni has Mawdood, Sulaiman has Zahar, Janiya has Sizah, and Howe has... well, Ugur), but we don't know who the real villain is, and it COULD be Chitra or someone working for a dark purpose. Other than the Orobian queens being surrounded by enemies, we don't know how they died that night. Did Chitra really betray them in a very complicated manner? Was there a third party? What happened? Why did it happen? We don't know.

Actually, two of the legendary weapons have been revealed: Hova. Yes, I know, Brynhildr from _Fates_ 2.0, now with wind instead of gravity/earth, why would a dragon make a magic tome? The answer? I didn't want to do a bow, lance, or two more swords. But I'm glad you like Taryn! Sulaiman gets an earth elemental weapon that can f**k s**t up, and I LOVE the idea of what you can do with earthquake abilities. Perhaps I should go back and work on Hova a bit more.

I like your idea for Sulaiman... it's more about how people around him see him rather than how Sulaiman sees his situation. It offers a bit more intrigue with him. And yeah, I should read some things about _Genealogy of the Holy War..._ I just hope Sulaiman has a better time than Sigurd did.

Janiya definitely has her hands for. She hates politics, but tries to work with it for her sister's sake, and her being told "No" about going to fight some dangerous threats makes her desire to fight them much greater, which shows, here, when she's truly in over her head several times over. She's a bit impulsive, which hinders her, here.

Tawni I really hope to bring out more, and she's the most entertaining protagonist (in my opinion). She's learning the ropes of being a trickster, making hard calls, and has the charisma to help. But yeah, I wanted to have a bit of fun with her, so give her the bandit brothers! But Mawdood being a major villain BECAUSE of the whole "Alibaba and the Forty Thieves" thing is something I'm really hoping shines.

Yeah, Howe is blinded by his "I know this situation a hell of a lot better than you", which makes him butt heads with authority figures who want things done in a certain way, which prevents him from reading the room. However, he can walk the talk so much that he gets a small past... albeit with a bit of chewing out courtesy of his allies who try to prevent his ego from overinflating. He also makes way too many enemies way too fast.

 **Guest:** Again, sorry about my sporadic update schedule, I don't have a solid one, and I'm busy in real life. Between taking care of a new puppy, looking for a job, and taking care of things around the house, I don't have a lot of free time to write as much as I used to. Also, I do try to write all of the chapters, first. I hope to not discontinue this, but again, I may be busy in real life.

Alright, that's everything. Next time, we're off to Wutai-I mean, Chon'sin-I mean Hoshido-I mean Xuhua. Farewell, subjects!


	11. Howe Chapter 3: The Voyage to Xuhua Bay

A/N: Well, it seems we're back in _Night of Tales._ And now, it's time for Howe... and his past to come into play. Again, if I'm getting a little too violent for Teen rating, let me know.

* * *

 _Summary: Captain Howe's ship, the_ Sabine, _is finally ready for deployment. Captain Sema deploys him and Ugur to Xuhua to rendezvous with the Argelian fleet to prepare for the upcoming invasion of Nourdari. Sadly, the Howe family's past plus a sudden ambush by Upril's navy puts the fleet and the_ Sabine _at risk..._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: "The Voyage to Xuhua Bay"**

* * *

 **Kingdom of Ustros, City of Tel Kibja, Ustrosi Palace, Memorial Graveyard—One Week Later**

The light blue-haired young man about 23 stared at the four graves, wearing white and gray regal looking clothes, a simple silver circlet, and a blue gemstone embedded in gold in his hands. He closed his blue eyes while putting his hand on one of the gravestones, letting a few tears slide down his face. On the grave, was the name "Princess Najiyya". Next to her grave was a smaller one, labeled "Prince", and to the left of these two were "Queen Kalia" and "King Usman". Kalia had succumbed to illness after the deaths of two of her closest friends and her daughter-in-law carrying her grandson. The king, however, had let his own health deteriorate and finally gave up the ghost just a few days ago. Now, Prince… or rather, "King Rifat" was alone.

Standing to the far side was a teal-haired young woman, about 18, wearing a white and red pegasus knight uniform. She was standing next to several other pegasus knights, one of whom was an older brunette with her hair in a ponytail, wearing a bright white and gold garb of a falcon knight. "I hope you're proud of yourself, Zainab," the brunette said to her. "You let this happen."

"I did everything I could that night—" the younger woman began.

 _ **SMACK!**_

"'Everything you could'?" she asked the woman nursing her cheek. "Then tell me, Zainab… why is it that Princess Najiyya died, but you survived? If you did 'everything you could', that would have included giving your life! You shouldn't even be alive right now, yet here you are… but no Princess Consort!"

"The princess ordered me to leave the _Aquarius_ without her!" Zainab said. "Didn't you read my report since your promotion, Captain Negin? I didn't want to, but—"

"So you finally admit to abandoning the woman who was carrying the future of Ustros in her womb," the brunette scowled. "Instead of staying and fighting to defend her? You disgust me with your cowardice, valkyrie! I thought it was suspicious that YOU of all people were among the few survivors of the Empress' treachery, traitor!"

"The Empress' treachery?" Zainab repeated.

"Who ELSE could have masterminded this, you simpleton!?" the brunette asked. "If it was up to me, I would have severed your head from your neck ages ago! But… for some reason, the prince… or rather, the king had thought to spare your miserable life. I suppose he thought to show you some cruel mercy for your betrayal."

"Yes, and I've been demoted to staying as a guard to Tel Kibja," the teal-haired pegasus knight remembered.

 _ **SMACK!**_

"Don't you DARE interrupt me!" the brunette snapped. "You're lucky to even have a HEAD, let alone a job, for your incompetence that borderlines treason! Still, I heard you were once again seeking a chance to spread your wings and explore the countryside for signs of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild's base?"

"Well, Captain," Zainab said, tending to her other cheek, "the Ustosi Thieves Guild is STILL a threat to Ustros besides the Argelian Empire. Not to mention, if you read my report, you'd know that the Ustrosi Thieves Guild—"

"Were supposedly hired by the Empress to help her assassinate the Queens of Orobia," Negim said. "And whose fault is it that they succeeded because you left your post?" Zainab frowned, but lowered her head. "Request to pursue the Guild denied. As long as I'm guard captain, you're never leaving Tel Kibja ever again. Your career is pretty much over except for your resignation. I would suggest you'd do that… but you seemed determined to keep serving. Fine, serve as a city guard. But monumentally screw up again, and I will personally see to it that your career is not the only thing cut short. Do I make myself clear?"

"But that's not—"

"Do. I. Make. Myself. CLEAR?" Negim repeated. Zainab sighed.

"Crystal, Captain."

"Good. Now… get out of my sight and back to work before I see you and your pegasus shot out the sky." Zainab turned away, a sniffle escaping her lips, and ran out. Negim walked over to Rifat. "M'lord… I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"You didn't have to be that harsh, Captain," Rifat said to her in a gentle tone. "She did her best."

"Her 'best' didn't save your wife and son," Negim said. "And that heartbreak of losing her grandson and beloved daughter-in-law, plus two of her childhood friends and her hometown, was too much for your mother to bare. Add in your father's health and depression, and that girl's cowardice and incompetence single-handedly killed your entire family but you. I'm surprised you didn't charge her with treason and execute her yourself!"

"...Najiyya was gentle," Rifat answered. "If she wanted Zainab to run away, it was for a good reason. You have apoint she deserves to be demoted for failing to protect Najiyya at least, but… we don't know how far this story goes or why the Empress killed my wife. Did she or the other Orobian queens err in some way? And what's the connection with the Thieves Guild? I must know before passing true judgment upon Zainab." He then turned to face his captain. "Any word about Konunlik? Their city guard hasn't contacted us for over a week, and your scouts have been rather silent."

"That harbor town to the southeast?" Negim asked. "Honestly, it's too small for the Empire's fleet to land, so I have doubt they'll go there. That's why we have the tower in Nourdari… it's our most fortified port town in all of Ustros. We'd see their fleet coming from miles away."

"...We can only hope," Rifat said. "And what about our former friends in the south?"

"King Darius and Sultan Mecca have both been rather quiet," Negim said. "Too quiet for the widows of Queen Kalia's best friends. If they're working on something, a clue would be nice."

"I think they still haven't exactly gotten their people to truly trust each other, which doesn't help our war effort in the north," Rifat replied. "If Sultan Mecca's younger son and King Darius' older daughter were both of age, however… maybe their plan would work."

"You think they're hiding something?" Negim asked.

"What better way to form a permanent alliance than with a royal wedding?" Rifat asked. "Something Father once said when he heard Mother gossiping about Sultana Farah and Queen Minoo's children." He looked towards the south. "Still… we can only hope to hold out until the two nations to the south are truly no longer at each other's throats."

* * *

 **City of Nourdari, Marketplace—Two Years Earlier**

 _Howe walked through the rubble with Dilazak, carrying a large, heavy crate. "Hurry up, Howe," Dilazak said. "This delivery isn't going to complete itself!"_

" _How do we know if the merchants are still alive?" Howe asked. "This city was hit very bad by the Argelian attack, Captain. And I'm still worried about that ship…."_

" _Are you honestly going on about that?" Dilazak asked. "Gods, Howe, it was just a large ship! Besides, a few of our goods will reignite commerce in this place! That's what it needs! And we need the coins, so we're doing this. And just so we're clear, since we're late thanks to you, any gold that the merchants refuse to pay comes out of YOUR pay! Understood?"_

" _Aye-aye," Howe said._

" _Don't use that sarcastic tone!" Dilazak yelled. "Now hurry up! I want to get this delivery over with so we can collect our pay and go." Soon, though, the two of them arrived in a broken square, looking at a dust and dirt covered woman, kneeling down in front of a set of destroyed statues. Howe put down the crate, and rushed over to her. "Howe, get back here!"_

" _Ma'am, what's wrong!?" the helmsman questioned. "Why are you crying!?"_

" _Didn't you hear!?" the woman questioned. "Princess Najiyya… and the other queens of Orobia… they were killed!"_

" _What!?" Howe asked. "They were assassinated!? When!?"_

" _Just the other day!"_ _an injured man said, approaching Howe. "Gods, it was horrible discovering their bodies! Princess Najiyya was with child! Queen Kalia's health is doomed to deteriorate now that she knows the wife of her son who was pregnant with her grandchild is dead! Damn the Argelians and those who support them! They snuffed our beloved light in cold blood!" He then pointed to Howe, and questioned, "And you… YOU!"_

" _Me?" Howe asked._

" _You're a sailor, aren't you!?" the man said. "Your ship docked not too long ago! Where the hell were you when Princess Najiyya and the other Orobian Queens needed help!?"_

" _WE were making a delivery of fresh Giussean supplies!" Dilazak said, grabbing Howe's shoulder. "We have nothing to do with this!" He then said, "Let's go, Howe! That's an order!"_

" _The hell you have nothing to do with it!" a knight said, stomping forward. "Your ship docked almost immediately after the Argelian's deathtrap pulled out to open sea! Surely you could have seen it, and done something!" He then pointed at Howe, and declared, "Your inaction killed the Orobian queens! You should have turned around and helped! Their blood is on your hands!"_

" _My… what?" Howe asked. Howe looked at his hands… and spotted blood all over them. He then looked behind him, at the crate… and spotted blood dripping out of the bottom. The helmsman pushed by his captain, and opened the crate… and stepped back. Inside it was not just one woman's dead body… but five. He then looked in their open, dead eyes… and saw himself. But he was wearing Argelian armor, holding a bloody axe. Howe looked at his own clothes to see that he was INDEED now suddenly in Argelian uniform, and was armed with an axe. The axe clattered against the ground._

" _Murderer!" the man from before called. "You killed them! You killed our princess! You killed her child! You killed the queens of FIVE nations! And now, you're wearing their murderers' uniform!" Howe shook while a crowd of people surrounded and began jeering him, throwing rocks, while Dilazak did absolutely nothing to help. Howe then looked back at the crate, and saw the corpses replaced with other bodies... that of his crew and Sema. He then heard some hellish hissing, and turned in time to seeing a pale, blood-cover hand, on his shoulder._

 _He looked behind him, and Howe could barely stammer as he saw Princess Consort Najiyya, drenched in blood, holding him. The woman let loose a blood-curdling scream as she tackled him to the ground, and began choking him. As Howe tried to push her off, a well thrown knife embedded itself into his left arm. Howe then looked to see four more blood-stained figures standing over him: the other assassinated queens of Orobia. They descended upon him..._

* * *

 **City of Konunlik—One Month After the Battle of Konunlik**

"Sirius Howe, wake up!" Anna cried, shaking him. Howe jumped, and looked at her standing over him on the deck. Howe had bags under his eyes, and there was a puddle of drool on top of the crate he was laying on. Howe frantically grabbed the lid of the crate, and looked inside… only spotting bushels of fruit.

"Damn… not again," Howe breathed.

"Gods, I'm so glad the rest of the crew is out getting the last of our supplies before we weigh anchor! Did you have another nightmare?"

"...Yes," Howe said.

"The one with the burning ship with your parents on it, the one where another you cuts off your arms before cutting off your head, or the one where you're in Nourdari and the crowd accuses you of murdering the Orobian queens because you didn't stand up to Dilazak?"

"...C."

"Howe," Anna said, gently kneeling beside him, "nobody could have predicted what happened that night. It wasn't your fault. And maybe Dilazak had a point that all you would have done, at best, was delay the inevitable had you turned around, and at worst gotten us all killed. If what I've heard about the Argelian Empire's true, there's no way there WEREN'T janissaries aboard that ship. They're Argelia's finest melee troops and the personal guardsmen of the royal family. Add in some orichalcum to limit magic's effectiveness, and that ship was a deathtrap for any enemy of the Empress…."

"She has a point, Captain," Sema called from the docks. Howe walked over to the port side, spotting Sema and Habai standing by. "I don't know the exact details of what happened that night, despite being Princess Kadri's friend, but… the _Aquarius_ wasn't a ship you could have taken on easily. Nor could you have taken the Empress. Anyway, I heard you had been having… night terrors, lately, and wanted to stop by and check on you."

"Captain Sema, always a pleasure!" Howe greeted. "I should be okay. But your plus one there means this isn't a social call. What else brings you to my slums?"

"I wouldn't call it slums, Captain Howe," Habai said. "These are docks."

"You are very literal and have never been to Giuss," Howe noticed. "Anyway, what can I do for you ladies? Would you like a tour of my ship?"

"Captain Sema would most certainly like a tour," Habai smiled, and her captain's cheeks went pink. "Most likely ending in your captain's quarters. For several hours. Maybe you can have better sleep, and she can finally—"

"H-Habai!" Sema stammered. Turning to Howe, she calmed down, and said, "Perhaps a tour of the _Sabine_ is due another time, for inspection purposes, once this upcoming battle is over. But for now, I have your next mission ready for you."

"Already?" Anna asked, popping her head over Howe's shoulder. "Wow! I mean, don't get me wrong, Captain Aksoy, you paying us money to do what Howe wants to and be your heroes is amazingly good, but I didn't think you'd have need of us as soon as we were getting ready to test the _Sabine."_

"Oh, your ship will get quite the test," Sema explained. "Emperor Consort Nika himself has given us the greenlight on one of our greatest goals. We've been given orders to take Nourdari so we can properly land our fleet in northeastern Orobia for the first time since this war started. Once we take it, we can spread properly through the rest of northern Orobia. Your land approach suggestion was brilliant, but the Emperor Consort and his chief tactician have made a slight edit. They're convince that this won't work without a proper distraction."

"Define 'distraction' in this scenario," Howe said.

"We're getting ready to move a majority of our forces out of Konunlik to march my people ahead, but we need someone to run a diversionary tactic to make sure they don't see our army until we're in position to destroy that cannon tower. I know an Ustrosi cutter like your _Sabine_ would be much faster than my _Eccentric._ You could easily beat us to Nourdari and be in position to run a diversion... with a fleet. It'll be dangerous once they realize you're working for Argelia, but you have the best chance to pull this off."

"How soon do you think you'll be able to march on Nourdari?" Howe asked, concerned.

"About a month, give or take," Habai answered.

"If you could, rendezvous with a few more captains at these coordinates," Sema said, holding up a plate. "The leader there should be Captain Muhsin Yalman. Let him know you're spearheading the diversion." She then blinked, realizing something. "Um, Sirius… did I ever give you an astral plate and astral crystal?"

"Astral plate?" Howe asked.

"...No, I didn't," Sema said. "I'm sorry, I knew I've been forgetting something this entire time. Habai?" At this point, Habai disappeared in a puff of smoke, and reappeared on the _Sabine's_ deck, where she held out a black glowing plate and blue crystal similar to the one he saw in Sema's quarters on the _Eccentric._ Howe took them, looking the two otherworldly relics over.

"So, this is an astral plate?" Howe asked, holding it up.

"I guess you're not familiar with this on Giuss," Sema said. "By using spell circles on these enchanted plates and special magical crystals from supposedly the djinn race's true home, we can use astral projections to communicate over long distances to allies, as well as map out our next moves. You can have that plate… if I remembered it correctly, the plate should be set up to connect to Habai's magical frequency, so you should be able to contact us as long as you have a magic-user pouring their magic into the plate, but if you encounter any other magi allies, you can connect to them."

"Thanks," Howe said. Habai channeled her magic into the plate for Howe, showing him the meeting point for his crew to rendezvous with the fleet. According to the map, it was about 20 kilometers west of the coast of Xuhua. "...Why am I going to Xuhua?"

"You're not making landfall," Sema assured him. "I looked into your family's history with Xuhua. About 50 years back, your grandfather made a name for himself when he stopped Xuhua's invasion of Orobia and Giuss… Novan Howe lured the self-proclaimed Sun Dragon Emperor, Oshiro Nobunaga, and his fleet into a death trap of a reef, and a ship full of flammable materials. Looking back at it, it could be considered good yet brutal tactics that ended the war before it made Orobian landfall. But to the people of Xuhua, honor's a very big thing… and your grandfather completely dishonored the Xuhuans by refusing to face Nobunaga in single combat and instead killed him with a cheap trick." She then said, "If you knew this about your grandfather and fear Xuhua, why risk sailing? Your grandfather was a great tactician, but not exactly known for making friends."

Howe slightly frowned, and said, "I always admired my grandfather's skill and smarts. Trying to be like him lead me to sailing…."

"But it's also lead you to a life of trouble," Anna chimed in. "How many pay cuts have you had before our new boss? And also, we JUST took a small Ustrosi city for the Argelian Empire, and we're now about to sail into dangerous waters to prepare for a huge invasion of a major trade hub. Kind of a step up, and a very dangerous one."

"Well, this won't take too much effort," Sema said. "I've talked to Captain Yalman, and he's agreed to avoid landing at Xuhua, despite the fact that the nation is on friendly terms with the Empire and has chosen to be neutral."

"So… I should probably find a magi before our scheduled attack."

"That would help besides Anna and Adem," Habai suggested. "I'm not sure where you'll find a roaming magi prior to the attack, however."

"Adem's staying aboard?" Anna asked Howe.

"Yeah, he asked me to stay on the crew," Howe agreed. "Of course, even though a cutter requires far less personal than Captain Sema's ship, we should expand our hands."

"Good call," Sema nodded while Habai came off the ship, and the rest of the crew finally came back. "Be safe, Howe. When you find a magi and introduce yourself to Captain Yalman, contact me. Dismissed." She then saluted him, and he nodded before she and the genie walked away. The three other crew members brought their supplies up.

"So, Captain," Keyon said, "I couldn't help but notice not only did you get us involved in another possible suicide mission, without our say-so once more, while we were gone, but Anna seems to have promoted herself to Vice Captain. Did I miss a crew meeting or have you two been sleeping with each other despite the fact that our Argelian employer clearly wants you in her pants?"

"Mr. Keyon!" Adem chided.

"Again," Anna said, "that was my twin sister who slept with him. Also, let's be real, Keyon, I'm a lot better of a pick for Vice Captain than you. You're a jackass. You occasionally have points, but you're too much of a reminder of Captain Dilazak for us to reasonably follow your orders in Howe's place. You need to be a lot kinder. Also, Piper may be combat trained, but she's been a lookout, not exactly a leader."

"Hey!" Piper frowned. "I deserve a chance at leadership! Who was the one who first congratulated the Captain and is always worried about him? All the two of you have done is belittle and second guess him, Keyon, and lie to him and take money, Anna!"

"I agree, Anna's a swindler and somewhat of a con artist," Keyon said. "But I also agree that Piper is way too inexperienced, and would crack under that type of pressure. My career with Dilazak was pretty damn good, despite his abrasive personality, so the Captain here needs someone who knows what he's doing."

"What about you, Pastor Adem?" Piper asked. "You're not throwing your hat in the ring."

"I don't like to take command," Adem said. "Furthermore, I feel underqualified to put my name forward. You lot have been sailing together much longer than I have."

"Seems you're having a bit of trouble keeping order, Giussean boy," a male voice said. The group looked to see Ugur leaning on the side. "A typical rookie mistake, not appointing a second-in-command the moment you BECOME the official leader. You're going to have a mutiny, sooner or later, if you don't nip arguments like this in the bud, now."

"...I'm actually on that guy's side, this time around," Keyon said. "Howe, name a Vice Captain."

"Alright, fine," Howe sighed. He thought about it for a minute. "Keyon, you're now Vice Captain of the _Sabine_."

"I'm sorry, what?" Keyon asked, actually touched while both girls pouted.

"Let's face it, you and I served Dilazak the longest, and your negative opinions have occasionally gotten me to actually think before I speak," Howe reasoned. "You have the most experience in sailing besides me. Just don't crack the whip too hard."

"Alright, Captain," Keyon nodded.

"Now that the mushy antics are done, onto real business," Ugur said, pushing off the wall. "Nice little ship you have. Of course, it's no _Prospector,_ but no ship in the entire Argelian fleet is like her. That said, I'm going to coming on your first voyage since my ship should be among the fleet ready to hit Nourdari. If you asked me, I'd rather be the one at the tip of the spear than some Guissean privateer, finishing what I started two years ago, since I'm the one with the most experience with Nourdari. But because Aksoy is the one the Emperor's put in charge of this and you're more… expendable than I am, we're doing her plan to take out that tower. Still… this doesn't mean you and I can't work together."

"Why do I have a feeling you have a plan that's going to get a lot of Ustrosi killed?" Howe asked.

"Would it really be that bad?" Ugur answered. "Look, despite your nightmares, if you were completely sympathetic to the Orobians, you wouldn't be here, would you?" Howe frowned, but remained silent. "Your silence is my answer. While you may have reluctance to fight Orobians, you do what you must to survive. And you're not exactly weak… I saw you in action taking Konunlik. A bit too merciful if you really want to make a name for yourself in Argelia's navy, but you got the job done. Besides, we're going after the Thieves Guild. We're really doing a favor for these future subjects of the Empire."

"The Thieves Guild?" Piper asked. "Why are you and Captain Aksoy after them?"

"Woman, last I checked, you were just passed over for Vice Captain," Ugur said, giving her a look that made Piper recoil. "Howe, you need to crack the whip with her and the redhead."

"Excuse me, you sexist pig!?" Anna scowled.

He then said over Anna's protests, "Look, Howe, all you need to know is I've been busy. I've found out that thanks to their leader, this 'Mawdood', Orobia isn't as far as they reach. While we're sailing to the rendezvous, we can find one of their supposed spies. We use the spy to reach Mawdood, I get ahead of Aksoy in the Admiralty position… and then, I can hurry up this war and conquer Orobia for the Empire. Of course, I'll make sure you're well rewarded… after we dispose of my competition just to make sure I'm THE choice for Admiral."

Howe frowned, but Ugur walked inside the ship before he could get another word in. "...Alright, let's take a vote. Who hates this guy?"

"That's not even a vote," Keyon said.

"I don't like him," Piper admitted.

"I despise him," Anna added.

"Frankly, I prefer working with Captain Aksoy over Ugur," Adem chimed in.

"Good, not just me," Howe said. "But we have to work with him, for now… once we drop him off, he'll be his crew's problem. Alright." He looked over his astral plate, and observed the meeting point. "Raise the gangplank and hoist anchor! I want to set sail!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Piper saluted, running off to do just those things.

Howe walked to the helm of his ship, and smirked while turning it so they began to move away from the docks. He took in a breath of fresh sea air, and looked to the horizon. "Braves yourselves, ladies and gentlemen!" Howe called to his crew. "This is going to be an amazing adventure!"

* * *

 **Xuhuan Sea—Another Two Weeks Later**

"This is proving to be a terrible adventure," Adem groaned over the rough waves, leaning to the side. He then, turning slightly green, lurched over the starboard side of the ship, and evacuated the remnants of his lunch from his stomach into the stormy sea. "Oh Cydris, lütfen yoğun rüzgarlarınızla bize merhamet gösterin {Oh great Cydris, please show us mercy with Your intense winds}."

"Little seasick, I see," Anna said, walking down. "I have JUST the remedy for you." She then reached into her pouch, and pulled out a small bottle. "Behold! Anna's Miracle Elixir! Guaranteed to cure whatever ails ya! Including colds, fevers, upset stomach, dizziness, diaherra, diabetes, the urge to kill Keyon and/or Captain Howe, and sea-sickness!"

"...Well, that sounds interesting," Adem said. Reaching for the bottle, he asked, "When did you make it?"

"Most of my sisters are tricksters, adventurers, or merchants," Anna said, pulling the potion away from Adem. "One of my big sisters is the rom baro of her own Romani caravan in Orobia, and she's written to me about some daughter she adopted. Another sister is a skilled Commander of Heroes in a far away kingdom, whose written to me about a skilled summoner. I had to tell her to NOT come to this world. A few even got in good with a few princes and princesses of other worlds." Ignoring Adem's frustrated reaching, she continued, "I myself apply my trade with being an apothecary. I've had a bit of time to kill during the time we were at port in Konunlik, and gathered the best herbs in all of Ustros. I then painstakingly ground them up into a powder and/or drained the juices out of them, mix them with a few liquids, and then instant cure-all in a bottle."

"You are truly a mistress of your craft, Anna," Adem said. "But if I may partake in it so I may endure this divine storm we're in?"

"Oh, right," Anna said. "Now, normally, for something like this prototype cure-all, I'd charge an arm and a leg for it since herbs in Ustros are rare. But for you? I'd be happy to part ways with it for about 200 Gold." Adem looked incredulous as the mischievous smile and wink Anna gave him.

"You're charging a member of your own crew for your potion!?" Adem questioned.

"Well, obviously," Anna said. "How else am I going to make a profit when I mass produce?"

"That's Anna, for you," Howe said, climbing down from the lookout's position. "Ugur, can I have the helm back? It's been my turn for the past two hours, and you've sailed us into the storm I specifically said NOT to, and I think we're close to a certain place we really shouldn't be!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the day I didn't think I'd live to see," Keyon said, looking up from his paper map. "Sirius Howe is SCARED of sailing to a place! Hell, him scared at all is kind of amusing!"

"Hey, we all have fears," Piper defended. "I myself don't like manaketes very much… it's mainly because I think they'll eat me."

"Nobody cares about your petty fears, you two," Ugur said. "We're almost there!"

"Almost there," Howe repeated. "You said that back when you turned us east right into a thunderstorm!"

"Howe, you're a damn hypocrite," Keyon said. "How many times have you put US in mortal danger because you have to be a risk-taker?" But looking at Ugur, he asked, "What is so important out here? The rendezvous point is supposed to be about six klicks WEST of here!"

"This was the fastest way to our destination!" Ugur answered while Howe walked up to the helm. "The rendezvous point may be a few klicks out, but I've decided to take us through a brief detour."

"Detour?" Howe asked. He pulled out the Argelian plate, placed the crystal in the slot, and looked at his two healers still fighting over Anna's supposed miracle vulnerary. "Could one of you magically recharge this? I need to figure out where we are." Anna relented the bottle, and came up and concentrated her healing power into it. Soon enough, the crystal showed an image of their small cutter approaching a landmass island. Howe recognized its shape, and scowled. "Captain Ugur… why are we sailing directly into Xuhuan territory?"

"My Orobian may be lackluster," Ugur shrugged, "but your tone hints you view that as a bad thing."

"So you really haven't read up on me or my family," Howe said, looking at Ugur and Keyon.

"Honestly, as long as I can use you, I don't give a damn about who your GRANDMOTHER was," Ugur said. "And considering how matriarchal Argelia is to the point that the EMPRESS is in charge, it's kind of saying something."

"Honestly, Howe," Keyon said, "all I really know or care about you is you're the grandson of some supposed war hero."

Howe sighed. "Have either of you heard about the Nobunaga Siege?"

That caused some reactions. Keyon verbally groaned. Anna nodded. Adem tilted his head in confusion as to why that was a bad thing. Piper gasped in horror and surprise. And Ugur? He started laughing aloud. "Asla! Lanet olası yok {No way! No damn way}!" he guffawed. "Bu şu anda gerçekleşmiyor! Yok hayır {This is not happening right now! No}!" Howe looked at Adem, who shook his head in apology. Once Ugur recovered, he asked, "You mean to tell me that YOU'RE the grandson of Novan Howe? The same bastard who was responsible for Xuhua not getting their own empire and handed them their most humiliating naval defeat? The same guy who killed Nobunaga before he even set FOOT on Orobia!? They're going to want to rip you limb from limb, Howe!"

"Well, thank you very much for confirming you're now trying to get us killed," Howe frowned. He then grabbed the helm, pushed Ugur off of it, and said, "Look, Captain Ugur, I may be a risk-taker, but even I don't mess with my grandfather's enemies that are still alive! Xuhua takes that still seriously, and will come after us! If we turn back, now, we can avoid being spotted by Xuhua's forces—"

"Captain!" Piper said, looking up. "A battle is ahead! It looks like a few Argelian ships and one Xuhuan ship are surrounded by Uprilian ships! The Uprilians are firing upon the Argelians, but the Xuhuan ship is beaten up pretty bad!"

"What!?" Keyon asked. "Did some people from the fleet break off to go to Xuhua? And how does Upril know about our plans?"

"I don't think they know… at least, not yet," Howe frowned. "But this presents a problem."

"What do you mean?" Ugur asked.

"Do we let the battle happen or do we get involved?" Howe explained. "If we let it play out, the Argelian ships will be destroyed, as well as a Xuhuan ship, causing Xuhua to declare war on Upril, and adding to the chaos. But on the other hand, if we go in and save the ships, we'll still have their help with the fleet… but there's little doubt once the Xuhuans figure out who their savior is, they'll gun for us. We'll need to get out of here, quickly once we do this."

"So, what if we, and bizarre pitch," Ugur suggested, "kill all of the Xuhuans BUT the one of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild I still need alive, and blame the Thieves Guild for the massacre? You're free of being held accountable, and Xuhua doesn't come after you."

"What?" Howe asked.

"Remember that Ustrosi Thieve Guild spy I said was near this area?" Ugur asked. "Yeah, during our voyage, I managed to get a message to them. They're about the Xuhuan ship. Everyone on board the ship is a witness to any interaction we have with them."

"I'm going to interject in this as your second-in-command," Keyon said. "Howe, I know you. You'd never ignore your allies in danger, nor would you let innocent people be killed. At this point, I know you've already made up your mind about what you're going to do. So, tell you what. If you're going to go in here, guns blazing, I suggest you be smart about those guns… and not fire the biggest one. Your last name."

"So what, let you all call me 'Sirius' for the duration of this battle?"

"Either that or 'Captain'," Keyon answered. "Either way, we better get ready. We're now near the Uprilians' firing range."

Meanwhile, on the Xuhuan ship, a young woman about 17, standing 5'2", with dark brown hair tied in a back-length ponytail, blue-worried filled eyes wearing a purple shitagi under her silver breastplate, and brown leggings stood in front of the door, looking worried. At her hip was a killing edge katana. The woman complained, "Karera ga Argelians o korosu tame ni watashitachi o utsu koto o nozonde irunara, don'na kyōki ga Upril o totta nodesu ka? Xuhua ga sensō de chūritsudearu koto o karera wa shiranai nodesu ka? Soshite, korera no Arujeria hito o dono yō ni chōsen shite, Amerika o kore ni hikizurikomu nodesu ka? Karera no subete ga... Karera no dare mo kono fune ni notte i tari, watashi no iitai koto ga areba, watashi no ōjo ni furete iru hito wa imasen {What madness has taken Upril if they're willing to hit us to kill Argelians? Don't they know Xuhua is neutral in their war!? And how dare these Argelians drag US into this!? Damn all of them... none of them are getting aboard this ship or touching my princess if I have anything to say about it}!"

"Kairi, sorehodo fuman wanaidarou {Kairi, less complaining would be nice}," a male voice said. The woman turned to see a man about 19 with orange hair and glasses-covered green eyes, wearing a sleeveless white kimono vest and a pair of long black pants, large thick bracelets, a pair of golden rings on his fingers, and carried a tome. "Dakara, Upril wa, chikaku no kono Argelian kantai o hakai shiyou to doryoku shite iru Xuhua no chūritsu-sei o wasurete shimatta yōda. Watashitachi wa chōdo sonomama ni shite oku hitsuyō ga arimasu {So, Upril seems to have forgotten about Xuhua's neutrality in their effort to destroy this Argelian fleet nearby us. We just have to stay out of the way}." With a shrug of his shoulders, he said, "Tashika ni, karera wa watashitachi ga hi busō no funedearu koto ni kidzuki, Jo Ka ni kaeru tochū ni imasu {Surely they'll realize that we're an unarmed vessel and let us be on our way back to Xuhua}."

"Kanryō shita yori kantan ni itta, Torio {Easier said than done, Torio}!" the woman snapped. "Jōsen-sha ga kono fune ni notte iru koto o ninshiki suru to, Xuhua ga Argelia o on ni suru yō ni kyōsei suru tame ni, watashitachi zen'in o korosanakereba, sore o tsukamaeru tame ni subete o kiken ni sarashimasu! Watashitachiha junbi ga hitsuyōdesu {When the Uprilians realize who is aboard this ship, they'll risk everything to capture it, if not kill us all, to force Xuhua to turn on Argelia! We have to be ready}!"

With Howe, he sailed the _Sabine_ into the battle range. "Alright, Howe," Ugur grinned, "you know how to naval battle, don't you?"

"I've heard my grandfather going over how ship combat works," Howe said. "From the helm, I control the _Sabine,_ and can move it into and out of range, just like commanding any land battle. However, ships have a lot more range, durability, and kick than archers do… and the _Sabine_ isn't designed for taking a lot of hits from cannon fire."

"Yeah, that's definitely the _Prospector's_ area of expertise," Ugur chuckled. "Of course, if we take too much damage, we're sunk… it won't matter how much the crew's able to endure, we're all as good as dead if this ship gets taken out. Just this once, I'm going to give you some repair kits, but you'll have to buy or steal more. They're good for fixing up your ship so it doesn't sink, but like any action, it'll end your phase. Of course, if you sail directly next to another ship, you can ram them and board just like an ordinary infantry battle. If you take out the captain of the ship you're on, the crew usually surrenders, and you can gain plenty of loot from its cargo hold… maybe even recruit a few new hands if you're lucky."

"But I can break off the clash whenever I want, right?" Howe asked.

"Yeah, sure," Ugur waved. "But be wary… if your whole crew's not aboard your ship, you're leaving them with your enemies on that ship. Not that's it's stopped me from making a retreat to heal up before."

"You'd leave crew members to die!?" Piper asked.

"Woman, I didn't survive this long in Argelia's navy by staying in a battle I can't win!" Ugur snapped. While Piper recoiled (and Howe scowled in disapproval), Ugur said, "Look, it's not like any of my crew don't know the risk. Sometimes, it's been one of my maneuvers to back off from a fight, then blow up the ship while its weakened. Sure, the crew members left are as good as dead if I can't get them from the debris, but it's sometimes a quick way to win a battle."

"It's not my policy to do that," Howe said. "I'd come back for them!"

"Well, good luck surviving some hard battles, then," Ugur said. "Still, to every captain, their own. But you should be wary. Enemy and allied ships still move during engagements. Some ships may ram YOU and force you to take up the defensive and cut off your escape. Lucky for you, I don't think Upril will risk destroying one of their ships to sink yours if you clash."

"Good to know naval combat is somewhat chivalrous," Howe said. "So, what if I wanted to weigh anchor and use my sea walking ability to sneak up on them?"

"Admittedly clever tactic," Ugur said. "But be careful… someone could spot you, and all its gonna take to make you chunks of shark bait is one solid cannonball. Don't risk it if you're gonna be spotted."

"Speaking of getting spotted," Keyon called out, "once we make our first attack, Upril will realize we're here to help Argelia. So, suggestion: we ram the one farthest from the rest of its fleet, and take out the captain, and then open fire on the others."

"Good call," Howe agreed. He sailed the _Sabine_ near the Uprilian ship that was the farthest away from the other three. The captain of the ship, a male explorer, spotted the _Sabine,_ and blinked in curiosity.

"What in Rerci's name is that cutter doing here?" he asked aloud to himself.

"Captain, what's wrong?" a myrmidon asked.

"Is it just me, or is that not a ship heading towards us?" he asked the myrmidon. The myrmidon looked, and spotted the _Sabine._

"Yes it is, captain. Are they friendly?"

He was answered by the _Sabine_ ramming into them. While the crew was thrown for a loop, Piper, Howe, and Keyon jumped aboard, Adem and Anna not too far behind.

"Greetings, you lot!" Howe said, hoisting his axe over his shoulder. "Tell me: whose the captain of this ship? Drop your weapons and surrender now, and I'll spare you and your men! Don't, and defend yourselves!"

"How dare you!?" the captain scowled, drawing his bow. "We're soldiers of Upril on a mission to stop the Argelian fleet!"

"Well, that's unfortunate," Howe said. "You see, I NEED that fleet for something. I can't let you sink it, no matter what you want. Also, you're endangering Xuhuans, who aren't a part of the conflict! Last chance to surrender now." He was answered by an arrow flying, and the arrow barely grazed him thanks to Piper pulling him from its path. "That's a no, then."

"Of course it's a no, pirate!" the captain said. "Fight back, men!"

Howe then saw a soldier rushing at him, and blocked his lance with his axe before slashing the man down. However, he was slashed by a sword. Luckily, Adem was on healing duty while Anna fired back with her arrows, hitting one of the soldiers. Keyon cracked his whip, smacking an unfortunate myrmidon with a brutal lash before using a dagger to stab the man in the chest before he could get back up. Piper, meanwhile, finally closed in on the captain and slashed him with her sword. She was grazed in the arm by an arrow herself, but it didn't stop her from slicing the captain down.

The crew of the ship stared at their now dead captain, and were stunned. Some of them dropped their weapons, while others abandoned ship. Howe held his axe up to one of the crewmembers that stayed aboard, and said, "So, what to do with you lot?"

"Please don't kill us!" a crewmember said. "You're free to help yourselves to what treasure we have, just don't kill us!"

"You know, I think we will," Anna beamed, healing Piper as she did so. "While you're at it, can you explain what you're doing here?"

"Okay, fine," the crewmember said. "We got word that there was a Xuhuan Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirate aboard the ship. Some bigshot, rumored to even be the right hand of the Guildmaster himself. Between the Thieves Guild and Argelia, Upril and Ustros have been getting hammered. The fact that we caught Argelians here was a bonus, but we're to sink that ship on the orders of Captain Habal."

"And you'd risk committing war crimes by attacking a Xuhuan passenger ship just to kill a bunch of Argelians and one Thieves Guild bigwig?" Piper asked. "That's pretty disgraceful! I thought Upril was supposed to be better than this!"

"We wouldn't get another opportunity like this for a long time!" another crew member defended himself. "We have rumors that this is none other than the Thieves Guild's biggest member next to Mawdood! And they're stowing away on a Xuhuan ship! If anything, we're doing Xuhua a favor! So a few civilians die! It's not like Argelia's any better! I see the man you're sailing with: Ugur, the 'Coast Reaper' who sacked Nourdari two years back? You expect me to believe you pirates are any better!?"

"We're letting you live, aren't we?" Keyon asked.

"...Fine," the crew member relented.

"Thanks," Howe said. "Now… what to do with you? I already said I wasn't killing you… but I can't let you come after us. At least, not in this ship."

"I have a suggestion, Captain," Keyon said.

Several minutes later, the Uprilian ship was aflame, and the Uprilians were tied up and being led to the brig by Piper and Keyon while Anna counted her treasure. One of the crew members, an archer, shot Howe a scowl.

"You'll regret this, pirate," he spat. "I swear, I'll hunt you down, one day." He was then shut in the brig.

"You know," Ugur warned while Howe took the helm, "you really should keep in mind who you keep alive and who you don't. Some folks, you're better off killing now."

"You win your war your way, I'll win my war my way," Howe said.

"Captain," Piper said after she looked up. "Argelians approaching us to intercept!"

"Man the cannons," Howe ordered. "They know we're not just here to watch, anymore."

"I thought you'd never say so," Ugur grinned. "Lucky for you, Argelia's ships know you're not here to hurt them, and won't fire on you."

Howe moved the _Sabine_ to sail near one of the Argelian ships, and opened fire. One of the cannons hit the enemy ship for a great deal of damage. Of course, though, it returned fire, hitting the _Sabine._ Lucky for the _Sabine,_ the Argelian ships sailed over to help defend her, firing on the Uprilians while Howe took this opportunity to patch up his new ship. Once the _Sabine_ was patched up, Howe ordered another round of cannon fire, sinking one of the Uprilian ships.

"Alright," Howe grinned, steering his ship through the chaos. "Now, what next?"

"How about we finally do something about that Xuhuan ship?" Ugur said. "Break off the battle, and secure that ship. We could find our rogue pirate the Uprilians were chasing… maybe they're be a lot more cooperative than Zrisse was for Aksoy. I can finally get ahead."

"Yeah, but something tells me they're not going to like me, even IF I'm trying to save their lives," Howe muttered. Regardless, he sailed over to the Argelian ship, and had his crew place planks to board it while the Argelians covered them. This did not go unnoticed by the two members of Xuhua's army who saw the crew of the _Sabine._

"Korera no hitobito ga daredeare {Whoever these people are}," the myrmidon scowled, gripping the hilt of her killing edge, "karera wa kono fune ni noru koto o shi no kibō to shinakereba naranai {they must have a death wish to board this ship}."

The mage countered, "Shikashi, Kairi wa, watashitachi no inochi o tasukemashita {And yet, Kairi, they saved our lives}." He then brushed a hand through his hair before saying, "Sukunakutomo watashitachi wa utsu mae ni sorera o kikubekidesu {At least we should hear them out before striking}."

"Karera ga watashi no chikaku no dokoni ite mo, watashi wa karera ga tekitai-tekida to omoudeshou {If they get anywhere near me, I will assume they're hostile,}" Kairi warned. Howe, meanwhile boarded the ship alone… he figured it would be easier if he was alone. Kairi drew her sword, and kept an eye on Howe… while he looked around, wary. Howe, spotting Torio wasn't as hostile looking, approached him.

"Go aisatsu... Xuhuan magi. Watashi wa Shiriusudesu. Watashi wa anata o sukuu tame ni koko ni iru {Greetings... Xuhuan magi. I am Sirius. I am here... to save you}."

"With all due respect, Captain Sirius," Torio said, "your Xuhuan is completely inadequate. Also, it's kind of insulting to assume we don't know common Orobian tongue, yet be out here."

"...Well, damn, that was a waste of time," Howe muttered. "Look, since you can understand me, know this: I'm not your enemy. I'm an Argelian privateer. I'm sorry you got caught in the crossfire of this battle, but Upril suspects that there's an Ustrosi Thieves Guild pirate aboard this ship."

"Ustrosi Thieves Guild?" Torio asked. "That's weird. Although there's a manakete passenger, she's Xuhuan, through and through. Xuhua's neutral to the Orobians and Argelians' conflict. Yes, our beloved Shuteng has once tried to seduce Gargec, that Smith Dragon who fathered Orobia's Genie Dragon, but we stay out of this. We don't normally deal with Thieves Guild."

"Yeah, no idea who the hell any of those are, actually," Howe said. "I'm just a sailor from Guiss who's working for the Empire trying to end this war, quickly."

"Guiss?" Torio frowned. "...You wouldn't happen to know anyone from there named 'Howe', would you?"

"Um, uh… no?" Howe lied. "I don't really associate with anybody named 'Howe'. Certainly not the grandchildren of any long dead war heroes who managed to stop Emperor Nobunaga from really getting anywhere…."

"I never mentioned Novan Howe having a grandson," Torio smirked. "So, you're the war criminal's grandson." Howe's eyes widened. "Relax… your grandfather may have stopped our plans to widen and provide Giuss and Orobia with our nation's wisdom, but you're trying to rescue us and our princess, so I will let it slide… for now."

"...What?" Howe asked. Torio rolled his eyes, but extended his hand.

"I'm Torio, Captain Sirius Howe," he greeted. "If it hurries up our princess' safety, I'll gladly aid you in this conflict. I'll just convince Kairi to not kill you until after we are done with you… she won't hurt me, no matter how much I annoy her." He then walked over to Kairi.

"Dakara, kaizoku wa nani o nozonda no {So, what did the pirate want}?" Kairi questioned.

"Kaizoku wa nōbanhau, Kairī no magodearu {The pirate is the grandson of Novan Howe, Kairi}," Torio answered. She gasped.

"Nōbanhau no mago!? Sono yarō ga yakyū kōtei o koroshite kara, orobia ya jūsu o toru koto ga dekimashita {Novan Howe's grandson!? That bastard killed Emperor Nobunaga before we could take Orobia or Giuss}!" She unsheathed her blade.

Torio stopped her by explaining, "Kairi, kare wa sofude wa arimasen. Soshite Fumiko hime wa kono tatakai ga nagaku naru hodo kiken ni sarasa remasu. Kono otoko ga sore o owara seru no o hayaku tetsudatta hō ga hayaku, kono dorobō girudo no supai ga kono fune ni notte iru no o shiru koto ga dekireba hayaku, kōkyo o Ino joō to sono kyōdai ni modosu koto ga dekiru {Kairi, he's NOT his grandfather. And Princess Fumiko is in danger the longer this battle goes. The sooner we help this man end it, the sooner he can find this Thieves Guild spy supposedly aboard this ship, and the sooner we can get the princess back to Queen Ino and her brothers}." Kairi sighed, and sheathed her blade. She then turned to a nearby door, and knocked on it.

"Fumiko hime, Torio to watashi wa, anata no fune o sukuu tame ni, kono jiosu kaizoku no baka to issho ni hataraite imasu! Wareware wa modotte kimasu {Princess Fumiko, Torio and I are working with this Giussean pirate idiot to save you! We'll be back}!" She then turned to Howe, and said in Orobian, "The only reason this killing edge isn't currently lodged in your chest is because you're helping us, Howe. I don't care if you're kind of handsome… your grandfather butchered a lot of good men. My grandfather and his father, included. That alone means we're destined to be enemies, some day."

"Yeah, my grandfather did kill a lot of Xuhuans and later Poswali," Howe said. "War's like a bad hand of cards. It's not pretty to look at, but you try to make due with the hand you're dealt."

"Your grandfather didn't know a thing about proper warfare, let alone honor!" Kairi spat.

"I beg your pardon?" Howe questioned, his eyebrow raised. "Look, my grandfather defeated your emperor in a display of superior tactics AND planning. That's simple."

"But not proper combat!" Kairi answered. "Instead of facing him or the rest of the Xuhuan fleet sword to sword, that coward Novan Howe chose to taunt Emperor Nobunaga from his ship, lure him and our fleet into dangerous waters and using an oil and gunpowder coated ship, watched them get trapped, and then opened fire, destroying the fleet, and watched as our emperor, my grandfather, and his father all burned or drowned! He didn't even TRY to fight Nobunaga in single combat like a man!"

"It was a smart play, and the only play that would have worked," Howe retorted. "Single combat is idealistic, but DAMN stupid when we all know that swordsmanship seems to trump axe-mastery that my grandfather had. Furthermore, if we looked at a naval combatant perspective, my grandfather was simply outgunned. In short, there was NO honorable way to win that battle against Nobunaga and protect Giuss. But sometimes… you have to forsake honor to get your crew out in one piece."

"That's why your grandfather and YOU are scum," Kairi said while she walked aboard the _Sabine._ "You spit on ideals to look for the 'easy way out'. It will lead you to a life of betrayals and eventually, people will get tired of your pegasus dung. It's what lead to you being orphaned, wasn't it?" Torio and Howe shot each other a look, and the two walked to the ship.

"So," Keyon said, looking at Howe's uncomfortable face, "which one of these people are we going to have to explain to that you killed their Thieves Guild ally turned traitor?"

"Neither of us are Ustrosi Thieves Guild," Torio answered. "But Princess Fumiko is aboard that ship, having just come from Argelia to talk with Princess Kadri. They're friends. Were this any other situation, we wouldn't even be doing this. We need to hurry this battle up. I take it Howe is the captain, here?"

"Oh gods, they know your last name, Captain," Piper whispered.

"Like we have much choice in this ourselves," Kairi said, leaning on the wall. "Get us close to one of those Uprilian ships, we'll sort them out. But I expect compensation when we're done."

"Between Kairi's sword and my magic," Torio grinned, "we'll handle this."

"Welcome aboard the _Sabine,_ Torio and Kairi," Howe said, grabbing the helm to rejoin the battle. Once the _Sabine_ was in firing range, he softened one of the remaining two Uprilian ships up with cannon fire, and managed to avoid the return volley to ram the ship. "Ugur, helm!"

"Thought you'd never ask," Ugur grinned while Howe grabbed his axe. Aboard the Uprilian ship, it was captained by a cavalier, who had already gotten on his camel and drew his sword.

"Pirate scum!" he called to Howe's crew. "How dare you attack Upril on a critical mission!?"

"I dare because I need this Argelian fleet," Howe said. "Now, I'm going to offer you a choice: surrender now, or fight." Looking at Kairi and Torio boarding, he added, "My new… acquaintances here want you backing off that Xuhuan ship, anyway."

"Pirates associating with Argelia?" the cavalier scowled. "And your accent says you're from Giuss, despite their supposed neutrality!? You're even greater scum than I thought, violating that! And why are you defending that ship!? Don't you know one passenger aboard it is an Ustrosi Thieves Guild spy!? We miss even one Xuhuan passenger, and we risk the spy getting away!"

"The thing is I personally don't give a damn about that spy," Howe said. "However, there's another passenger aboard the ship who, for all of our sakes, needs to stay alive. My grandfather may have stopped Xuhua once… I don't know if we can face their tactics coming back into the fray twice."

"It's worth the risk to prevent any more Ustrosi Thieves Guild schemes from being hatched," the cavalier said.

"That's where we disagree," Howe scowled. "It's already bad enough that no less than six countries are at war with each other. If it makes me the bad guy to cut you down and let some criminal escape to prevent the bloodshed from escalating… then I'll gladly wave the black flag. But you're not sinking this fleet and you're sure as hell not touching that Xuhuan ship!"

"Fine, then," the cavalier scowled. "You die, filth! Attack!"

Kairi drew her killing edge, and spotted an archer approaching her. She then said, "Find peace in death!" She then seemingly passed by the archer, who turned to look at her holding up her katana. She then sheathed it… and the archer finally fell, a nasty cut across his body. She looked at Howe, and said, "If we didn't have this crisis to deal with…."

"Yeah, I realize that I'd be the one on the deck bleeding out," Howe said before slashing down a soldier. Kairi, meanwhile, faced off with another myrmidon. He wasn't as skilled as Kairi, so the Xuhuan made quick work of him. Torio covered her, meanwhile, by unleashing an Elfire spell into an explorer brandishing his whip.

Adem healed Keyon after the latter took a hit from the cavalier captain for him, and Keyon cracked his whip against the captain. While the cavalier was distracted by the attack, Keyon used his whip to wrap around the camel's neck, and pulled it hard, causing the camel to buck off its rider as it attempted to pull back away from Keyon. Keyon let got of the rider before brandishing one of his daggers, and tossing it.

 _ **THUNK!**_

Everyone looked at the now dead cavalier before Howe sighed, and raised his axe towards the defeated crew. "So, what now?" he asked them.

"Um… uh… fine, we surrender," a soldier said, throwing down his lance. "I can't believe you killed the captain!"

"Yeah, we're going to get that a lot," Anna said. "We'll take anything shiny and valuable not nailed down, thanks!"

"All of this just for a damn manakete," the soldier frowned.

After a few more prisoners were loaded onto the _Sabine's_ brig and Anna hauled over a bunch of treasure, grinning like a schoolgirl as she did so, Howe grabbed the helm again. "Three down, one to go," he said. "Full sail ahead, Piper!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Piper said.

As the ship moved to engage the final enemy, Kairi approached Piper, and questioned, "How could swear such loyalty to the grandson of a war criminal like Howe?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Piper said. "He's not his grandfather. And so what if the captain is Novan Howe's grandson? He himself maybe a bit rough around the edges, loses sleep at night, apparently slept with Anna's sister and is currently flirting with the Argelian captain we're working for… but he's a well-meaning man."

"In Xuhua, the sins of our ancestors carry with us," Kairi said. "It takes a great deal to wash away the blood they've shed."

"And your ancestors?" Piper questioned. "They tried to invade Giuss. I don't know much about Novan Howe, but he was fighting to save Giuss! Anything that happened about 50 years ago was 50 years ago. Right now, this princess of yours needs saving from the Uprilian fleet more than Howe needs his head cut off for whatever atrocities his grandpa did."

They finally approached the final ship, and Howe rammed the _Sabine_ into it. "Alright, last ship, let's do this," Howe said, grabbing his axe. He then looked at the captain of the enemy ship, a mercenary swordsman.

"So, you're the troublemakers interfering with my operation," the mercenary scowled. "I don't know what a damn pirate crew's interest is, but an Argelian fleet AND a Thieves Guild spy aren't slipping through my clutches!"

"So, I take it you're this Habal I've been hearing about," Howe said. "The name's Howe. I'm working with Argelia, so I need this fleet."

"Howe? As in 'Novan Howe's legacy'?" Habal asked. "That axe-style seems all too familiar. You betray him AND Orobia by siding with Argelia!"

"You wouldn't be the first people I've betrayed," Howe replied. "But you forget, my grandfather was trying to protect Giuss, not Orobia! And this, in a way, IS protecting Orobia… from itself! The longer this war goes, the more innocent people get caught in the crossfire, like the Xuhuans, all because you suspect a mole from the Thieves Guild is on an unarmed ship! If I have to be the bad guy, so be it! It doesn't change the fact that I've taken out three Uprilian ships. I've outwitted and outfought your people in an undermanned ship with only a little backup from the fleet you ambushed and that guy over there." Howe pointed to Ugur. "Do you really want to test me, right now? Throw your weapons down, and call off your men!"

"No, traitorous scum," Habal scowled. "You've killed and/or captured my people. You die right here, right now!"

With that, the final battle in the Xuhuan sea began. Howe was forced to slash down a rogue, while moving past an archer. Keyon, luckily, took the archer's bow with a whip, and cracked the bow in half on the deck before whipping the now unarmed archer down. He then very quickly grabbed one his daggers, and slashed the archer's throat before moving on.

Torio and Anna were back-to-back, being the ranged combatants. Anna spotted a mage, and fired an arrow at him to injure him before his Thunder spell could fly. She managed to dodge, giggling as she did so while Torio flung his Fire spells to eliminate an archer. Piper grabbed them both by their wrists to get them out of the way of a pair of explorers' daggers, and kept moving. The two ranged combatants yelped, but kept moving.

Meanwhile, Kairi slashed down a few approaching swordsmen left and right. Whether they fellow myrmidons or mercenaries, the swordswoman from Xuhua faced them all and was doing surprisingly well. It may have been the fact that she was carrying a sword designed for fatal attacks, or the fact that she was incredibly skilled, but Kairi was raising a great amount of hell.

At least, until a soldier blocked her sword with his lance, and forced it down to smack her with his shield. When she tried to get her left hand on another sword, his hand stepped on it, and she looked to see the soldier standing over her, lance aimed at her heart. He reared it back…

 _ **CLANG!**_

Kairi gasped as the axe from nowhere blocked what would have been a fatal blow. She then noticed the hand holding onto the axe was held by a certain pirate. Howe then headbutted the soldier before suddenly lifting him and power slammed him into the ship's railing with a sick crunch. Not that the breaking of his spine mattered or his scream of agony lasted too long, as Howe embedded his axe into the man's chest before letting him fall overboard into the drink.

"Say what you will about me," Howe said, extending his hand to help her up. Kairi reluctantly took it while he said, "I'm not letting my crew and allies bite it if I can help it."

"...Thank you," Kairi said. She grabbed the now free Killing Edge while Adem healed her, and sliced down another archer before the archer could mark Torio.

Meanwhile, Habal clashed blades with Howe. "Howe, you bastard!" Habal scowled. "Can you really sleep with this much blood on your hands!?"

"What do you think?" Howe answered. "I don't sleep. At least, not easily. But you're being a damn hypocrite, Habal! How many people are you prepare to send to the depths just to do some damage to your enemies? If these Argelians were unarmed, would you have done the same attack?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" Habal said, swinging his sword and scoring a gash on Howe's arm. "Argelia deserves no mercy! Their Empress deserves NO mercy! She killed Queen Tabia in cold blood, and hired the Ustrosi Thieves Guild to secure the killing blow!"

"Really?" Howe asked. He then was kicked back, and Habal held his sword to Howe's throat. Piper, having just slayed a rival mercenary, turned and gasped.

"Captain!" she said, running towards them. She then barely parried the blade before the killing blow could be dealt, but lost her grip on her sword after doing so. Habal angrily turned to her. Before he could kill her, though, the tip of a katana erupted from his chest. He then looked behind him, and saw Kairi scowling before she pulled her killing edge back. She let Habal kneel down before she slashed diagonally to finish him off.

After the killing blow, the ship's remaining crew finally surrendered while Kairi helped up Howe. "We're even… for now."

"Thank you, Kairi," Piper smiled.

"I don't like debts," Kairi said, sheathing her blade. "Now, come… I have to check on Princess Fumiko."

About half an hour later, the _Sabine_ was flanked by two ships. An Argelian ship captained by a man about a head taller than Howe wearing a thick red coat over his uniform and a pointed hat over his brown hair was to the port side, overseeing the transporting of Uprilian prisoners. On the starboard side was a young lady, about 16 years old, with short black hair and wearing green and white robes.

"So, you're this Sirius Howe that Captain Aksoy spoke highly of," the captain greeted. "I can see why. You've got guts and brains, kid. Not too many would be willing to sail a cutter into a firefight like you did… and manage to pull it off. I'm Captain Mushin Yalman, by the way."

"Captain Yalman?" Howe asked. "I was to report to you and ask about the fleet's status, if memory serves."

"It does," Yalman agreed. He pulled out an astral plate, and requested, "Now… do you have a magi? I'm afraid mine was killed in action when the Uprilians ambushed us."

"If you don't mind me asking," Howe said, "why DID you steer away from the rendezvous point? We're supposed to meet AWAY from Xuhua!"

"I know," Yalman agreed. "But Princess Kadri's good friend behind you needed an escort."

"Behind me…?" Howe asked. He then turned to see the black-haired girl in the robes right behind him. She then curiously took a sniff of him, and then walked around. "Well, she's not ordering me dead," Howe observed. "That's a good sign."

"You smell like sea salt, gunpowder, alcohol, and blood," the girl said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Are you a baka pirate?"

"Baka pirate…?" Howe repeated.

"That's what Kairi called you," the girl said. "Well, thank you, baka pirate, for saving us. For that, I won't tell my big brothers who you were!"

"Big brothers?" Howe asked.

"Yep! Jinjiro and Goro would have your head!" the girl said. "They remember what your grandpa did to our great grandpa, baka pirate, and would cut you into chunks if they ever got their hands on you! But tell you what: Torio-kun and Kairi-chan, since they were ordered to just finish my escort before leaving, are all yours! Just don't come to Xuhuan waters ever again without them, and we should be fine!" She then skipped away, leaving Howe stunned.

"That was the nicest death threat I've ever gotten," Howe said.

"That was Princess Fumiko," Torio said while walking over. "She happens to be a childhood friend of your Argelian princess. These Argelians were escorting us back to Xuhua when Upril attacked. We've finished our escort. So, we're sailing under you as Xuhua's secret contribution to the war. Kairi will complain, but she'll eventually stop trying to kill you." He then concentrated his magic on Yalman's astral plate, recharging it and the crystal. Soon enough, Howe and Yalman were treated to the sight of Sema.

" _Sizi gördüğüme sevindim, Kaptan Yalman {Good to see you, Captain Yalman}!"_ Sema beamed. " _And Sirius, nice to know that you made the rendezvous."_

"We hit a bit of rough water," Howe said. "Should I tell her, or do you want to?"

"I should," Yalman sighed. He then turned to face Sema. "Aksoy, filo Upril donanması tarafından neredeyse tehlikeye atıldı. Kayıp verdik ama savaş zamanında hazır olacağız {Aksoy, the fleet was nearly compromised by Upril's navy. We took casualties, but we will be ready by the time of the battle}." Sema gasped. "Xuhua'nın Prenses Fumiko'sunu, onlardan gördüğümüzde evine geri götürmeye çalışıyorduk. Kaptan Howe için şimdi olsaydı, filomuz yok olurdu {We were trying to escort Princess Fumiko of Xuhua back to her home when we were spotted by them. Were it now for Captain Howe, here, our fleet would have been destroyed}."

Sema placed her hand to her face, and moaned, " _Tanrılar tarafından ... ne düşünüyorsun, bu kadar büyük bir filoya sahip olmak için kraliyet eşlik ediyorlardı {By the gods... what were you thinking, escorting royalty with such a large fleet}?"_ She then said, " _Howe, I'm sorry you had to pull this off so early!"_

"Don't be," Howe said. "We have them, that's all that matters, right?"

Yalman confessed, "Düşes Avdin, Xuhuan suları yakınlarında yelken gördüğümüzü gördü ve delikteki yeni asını karşılama yolunda Xuhuan prensesini bırakmamızı emretti {Duchess Avdin saw we were sailing near Xuhuan waters, and ordered us to drop off the Xuhuan princess on our way to meet your new ace in the hole}."

" _Avdin?"_ Sema muttered. " _Sarayın etrafında mı dolaşıyor yine {Is she snooping around the palace, again}?"_ She then said, " _Bunu sonra Prenses Kadri ve İmparator Nika ile görüşeceğim {I'll discuss this with Princess Kadri and Emperor Nika, later}."_ Turning to Howe, she said, " _Even though the fleet isn't anywhere as strong as it should be, Sirius, we're good to go, thanks to you. Be ready for Nourdari, soon, Captain."_

"It's… not going to be pretty," Howe winced.

" _Agreed, but that's war,"_ Sema said. " _Patch up your ships as best as you can, gentlemen. We're hitting Nourdari, soon. İmparatoriçe Chitra için!"_

"İmparatoriçe Chitra için!" Yalman replied before disconnecting. "Howe, I'm going to oversee those prisoners, grill them for any information they know. I'll also take Ugur off your hands… prevent him from giving you any more crazy ideas. You should prepare yourself… we attack, soon."

"Got it," Howe said before Yalman walked away. It was at this point a few footsteps echoed.

"So, you're this 'Howe' prick that I keep hearing about?" Howe and the rest of his crew looked to see a 5'7" woman that looked about 21 years old standing on the deck. She had a well-developed figure, a fair skin complexion (most likely because she sailed a lot), and long, wavy, light blue hair. Her amber yellow eyes with reptilian pupils looked at Howe with an air of curiosity. She was wearing a white, short-sleeved, off-shoulder blouse under a brown leather corset, a slightly torn red hip sash over her white pants, and a pair of brown boots. Around her neck was a brown leather choker collar necklace with a golden tube hanging from it. Finally, Howe noticed (and so did Piper, who quickly ducked behind Howe) was her slightly pointed ears.

"So what if I am?" Howe asked. The woman smirked.

"The Xuhuan part of me would like to turn into a dragon and tear you apart just to see how quickly you'd die," the woman said. "The Thieves Guild part of me agrees with that assessment, seeing as YOU'RE the ones who killed Zrisse, and the only reason Mawdood's letting it slide is because Zrisse tried to betray us. But the limited honorable part of me says I owe you."

"...Wait," Keyon said. "I didn't think the Ustrosi Thieves Guild took in women outside of slaves…."

"EXCUSE ME!?" the woman scowled. "I'll have you know that the Thieves Guild DOES in fact take women! And I take very good care of my lasses! Sure, Mawdood is nasty and has a rather dark business with women, but as his right hand girl, I can get away with so much more than most lieutenants. What can I say? I'm a selfish, greedy bitch, but I have standards about being a selfish, greedy bitch."

"Wait… you're the right hand of one of the most notorious criminal organizations in all of Orobia?" Howe asked. "And you're here in Xuhua because…?"

"Because I wanted to visit home after a job and NOT pay the fare," the woman winked. "It didn't help I spent most of my money on drink. The name's Sheba."

"And what do you want with us, Sheba?" Howe asked.

"To make this clear," Sheba answered. She then grabbed Howe by his neck, and lifted him up. "You have NOT made friends, today. Mawdood will hear about you… and although he'll be relieved you killed Zrisse before he could give anything that could hurt him, he'll eventually try to have your head simply because you stole his kill. But guess what? He won't claim it. I will. But not today." She then threw him down, and said, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

"That's a more blunt threat than your princess," Howe said. "Wait… about the guild."

"It's far too late to join us, Howe," Sheba scoffed. "After all, Zrisse may have been a backstabbing thief, but was a good drinking buddy of mine."

"I wasn't asking about that!" Howe scowled. "I wanted to know more about what the Guild's involvement with the Widowing Massacre was! If you're the right-hand woman of Mawdood, then you'd know! Did the Guild help kill the Orobian queens… and why?" Sheba shrugged her arms.

"What's your concern?" Sheba asked. "Were you an Orobian queen's secret lover?" She then laughed, "Look, I'm not one who normally judges, but I don't think you're a queen's type. Still, if you asked me, it would have paid a hell of a lot more to catch them, and ransom them back. I'm a hedonist, but the gold and a brief bit of scorn is a lot better than trying to make everyone fear you. Even if I was there that night, which I wasn't because I was involved in a very wild party in Argelia, why would I tell you anything about what happened other than Mawdood stuck his metal hand in this pie?"

"Take this seriously!" Howe demanded. "All of this violence, pain, suffering… all because I failed to take a stand…!" Sheba raised her eyebrow. She then smirked.

"Oh… so you blame yourself for all of this?" the manakete asked. "You see yourself as responsible… but you don't know how to go about fixing it. To the point that you think you'd have a better chance of doing so by working with the Argelians. I hate complicated people like you: you're boring, you try too hard to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you get so invested in helping other people that you can't focus on your own, and you cause more trouble and headaches for those who actually care about you to the point that they'd rather see you dead because it relieves THEIR stress! Sooner or later, you crash, and then you wonder why people stop giving a damn about you. I wonder how long that friendship with Argelia will last before you come to the conclusion that trying to atone by ending the war as quickly as possible is a terrible idea?" She then walked back from him, and taunted, "You need to indulge in some 'Howe time', buddy! Enjoy the short and simple things! You're only gonna break everything you care about if you don't stop carrying it all at once!"

She then leapt off the ship, laughing as she did so, before melting away… and then emerging as a giant blue dragoness with webbed hands and feet, and actual gills on her neck. Sheba then swam away.

"So," Ugur said while walking back over, "any word on the Thieves Guild spy?"

"Yeah," Howe said, rubbing his head, "and she didn't know anything about the Widowing Massacre."

"The Widowing Massacre… who the hell cares!?" Ugur frowned. "What I want is how to get to the Guild's boss! I get Mawdood, I make Admiral over Aksoy!"

"And what's your problem with Captain Aksoy?" Howe asked.

"She's not ruthless enough to do what needs to be done to win this war and expand Argelia," Ugur said. "You saw Konunlik… instead of making examples to show what happens to those who resist the might of the Empire, she gave a rousing speech about how what we're doing is a 'necessary evil' to 'achieve peace'. The last I checked, empires aren't built or founded upon peace, and House Aksoy has knights, not diplomats. The only reason she's even this high ranked is because she happens to be a good friend of Princess Kadri. I don't think she's capable of leading the siege we're preparing for… and if our empire is going to thrive, it will only do so with someone who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty at the helm. Men like us."

"Us?" Howe questioned.

"I've seen you fight, today, Howe," Ugur said. "Beneath that pragmatism, there's a ruthless side of you. Anyone you personally fight, you make DAMN sure they're not getting back up. You only spared those people in Konunlik to make nice with Aksoy, but there were multiple ways you could have gone about that attack if you really wanted to send Ustros a message to surrender. It's fine to pretend to have mercy to get in Aksoy's skirt, but you have to use this next battle to teach her and the rest of your troops that this is WAR, and it is fear, not misplaced love, that keeps the peasants in line. You can't build an empire without trampling over a few villages." He then walked away towards Yalman's ship, not letting Howe have any more words.

"...You sound like you're willing to trample over far more than a few," Howe said.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: In case it wasn't obvious, Xuhua is the Wutai of _Night of Tales_. For those of you who have never been on TV Tropes, good for you, it's a huge time waster that you'd become addicted to, trust me! But to make it this a long story short, the Wutai, named for the location in _Final Fantasy VII,_ is a random east-Asian (most likely Japanese) location in the middle of your western European fantasy setting... or in this case, your _Arabian Nights_ setting. Why am I including this at all, you might ask? Since modern day _Fire Emblem_ games (the ones on the 3DS) had Chon'sin in _Awakening_ (where Lon'qu, Say'ri, and Yen'fay were all from) and Hoshido in _Fates,_ and until perhaps E3 we have NO idea what the heck the Switch game is going to involve, I have a feeling that these types of settings will be in future FE titles. Heck, it works here BECAUSE before it made its way into the _Arabian Nights,_ "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" was a Chinese-written piece (although it was based on a Middle Eastern setting, which perhaps explains how it eventually weaved its way into the _Arabian Nights)._ That's why they speak poorly-translated Japanese (I used Google Translate, copied the subtitles instead of the actual Japanese script, and used that).

Second, you know that manakete Sheba? Yeah, she's half-manakete. Special thanks to her creator, LordofAwesomeness23/World's End34! Howe just risked his life to save your character AND a Xuhuan princess! I hope I got her right!

Well, Howe did get a couple crew members out of it... Kairi and Torio. I'll admit, Kairi was the one I first created the earlier for Howe's campaign, but to make sure I kept the male-to-female ratio semi-balanced (plus to emphasize magic being used in the astral crystals/plates), I had to create Torio, a mage.

Now, Kairi, being your Navarre archetype (she's actually red for Howe until you use Torio (who starts green, but is in NO danger from Kairi) to talk her down from killing Howe... and she WILL if you try to recruit her with Howe straight-up), is a myrmidon, the glass cannon swordsmen that have three variants: Orobian, Argelian, and Xuhuan. While Orobian ones are dressed in a desert style and are harder to hit, Argelian ones are dressed in semi-bulkier armor and harder to KILL, Xuhuan myrmidons like Kairi are far more skilled, wear the lightest armor, and are faster and kill a lot easier. Kairi has a few options, too, when she promotes: she's able to be either an assassin, get access to bows and the one-hit kill Lethality, become a Swordmaster, getting Astra and Swordfaire, or a Janissary, a class that allows her axes and lances and is a physical melee jack-of-all trades.

...God, I need to check in on Kiral.

Meanwhile, Torio, being a mage, is an all-too familiar class to _Fire Emblem_ (or fantasy games in general), and know that you have a squishy glass wizard whose job is to fling spells and wreck people's day, especially those units with poor resistance. Magi can gain steeds, either a ground steed if they're male, becoming a Dark Knight (and getting swords and Lifetaker) or a winged steed and becoming a Dark Flier if female (and gaining pegasi), with dark magic for both of these. They can also become melee-fighting healers, being either a male, axe-wielding War Monk or a sword-swinging, female Priestess. But if you'd rather not be forced to choose a gender-exclusive class, Magi can become Enchanters, getting access to light magic, staves, and daggers.

Finally, the biggest recruit of this chapter: _Sabine._ Yes, the cutter is a playable "party member", and Howe's campaign is made more difficult because you have to remember the ship has HP and you need to use it for combat, approaches, and escapes. The _Sabine_ starts as a cutter, but can "promote" (in short, be rebuilt into the _Sabine II_ ) into being a brig (tankier, ramming does more initial damage to boarding/hand-to-hand combat, comes with chain shots to hinder enemy ships' movement to prevent them from escaping to repair very far) or schooner (faster, harder to hit, comes with releasing mines to help with getaways)... eventually, you can reclass it again (as the _Sabine III)_ into a galleon (far more resistant to magical attacks that will come later, has an automatic magic cannon you don't need to purchase/have equipped to use magic, and increases the rewards for successful boarding/raids) or a man-of-war (does the most amount of damage without having to equip certain cannons, is able to move and attack twice a turn, and is quite durable) _._ Regardless of how you use it, the ship will level up on its own the more you have Howe at the helm, so you should have an easy time getting it near ready to upgrade by the end of Howe's campaign.

Now, this chapter itself explains not just what's going on in Ustros leading to its defeat and submission to Argelia during the other three lords' campaigns, but Xuhua's history itself. Approximately fifty years ago, Xuhua's ruler, Oshiro Nobunaga, was a powerful king who saw the Empire of Argelia, and wanted an empire of his own. Conquering a group of small nations that aren't important to the plot, he eventually turned his attention westward to Orobia and Giuss, bombarding the latter for months. Novan Howe, back then a naval captain and privateer, was challenged to hinder Nobunaga... a clearly intended suicide mission by his nobleborn superiors who didn't like his common birth. Unfortunately for them, Novan Howe wasn't stupid enough to actually TRY to kill Nobunaga, a beast of a swordsman who had an impressive dueling record, in single combat or directly engage Nobunaga's fleet. Instead, Novan used what he DID have to pull essentially what Robin did in that one naval battle chapter of _Awakening._ He lured an angered Nobunaga's fleet into chasing his ships towards a reef, and let them sail in it, getting themselves trapped before detonating a boat full of flammable material. The resulting explosion destroyed the fleet, killed Nobunaga... and earned the Howe family a lifetime enemy with the nation of Xuhua for a "dishonorable approach to combat". Sadly, Xuhua was forced to surrender because they didn't have the manpower or ship power to take revenge without disturbing Shuteng's peace, but the Howes were never welcome in Xuhua ever again. Our Howe himself is lucky that Fumiko is MUCH nicer than her siblings.

As for Ustros, yep, Zainab from the prologue! She's still alive! Although heavily demoted since the Widowing Massacre. In fact, if her captain had her way, Zainab would have been hanged by now for failing to protect Najiyya. As for King Rifat, I hope you enjoy seeing this young man, because he's the current ruler of Ustros. Yeah, I feel really sorry I didn't show Kalia or Usman alive in-universe (especially Kalia, since she was the last member of the Heroines of Aseel's War that has yet to be seen), so I'm going to seriously need to find a way to make up for this girl.

But I also need to answer some reviews.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Well, thank LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green. They were the one who made both Casval and Saiduq, and Casval was clearly (to me, at least) written as a villain with a vision... a dark vision. Yes, Casval has his reasons for his dark outlook, and you can ask his creator if Lucifer feels like sharing. Under normal circumstances (i.e., Sizah wasn't already decided as the arc villain of Janiya's mini-campaign), Casval would be perfect for her as the big bad. But due to the fact I had already decided Sizah would be the big bad of Janiya's tale AND I want Casval's story to be told, I let him be a Karma Houdini... for now. As for other villains, well... yeah, it's a _Fire Emblem_ story, typically the humanoid boss of the chapter, even if they're given a generic face, at least has a name. Sure, they're killed off as quickly as they come, but it comes with the territory.

Yeah, because of how powerful magical beings like genies are, I felt the need to limit them somehow, which is why I created the bound genie rule... but I felt that I should punish them with a fate worse than death should the rule ever be broken, and I wanted to incorporate the ghoul type of genie in somehow.

I'm glad someone actually is willing to give Sulaiman a chance. He has quite the bad luck streak: he's the second-born child of a nation that does NOT value second or third-borns as highly as their first, the only person to ever care about him unconditionally (besides family members) is from his country's old foe Cruibia, almost every decision he's made has been second guessed, and he's surrounded by political enemies, but tries to play nice. That's not even mentioning his poll rating. It makes you wonder what is going to happen with his campaign and his goal to get to Cruibia.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** You're very welcome for including your OCs. I'm glad I have Casval close to how you imagined him... he's a villain character that I really wanted to see kick ass. Again, if Sizah wasn't here and already decided on, you know he'd be an effective Arc Villain for Janiya, and I thank you for him, Saiduq, and your latest OC. That said, I feel I shouldn't let Casval go to waste... I have plans, just to let you know.

A lot of dark movement is happening, here. You have the manaketes under Adre of the west, realizing her enemy is back because some of her people accidentally dug up said enemy, and is moving to counteract her, while Janiya barely survives meeting an Argelian general who effectively gave her an emotional and (had it not been for Darius) physical curbstomp battle that until she finishes training she stands no chance of defeating, and Sizah is planning a one-two punch to announce her return and third attempt to destroy Cruibia, this time by recruiting an army of genies and branding manaketes while hiring Ustrosi Thieves Guild bandits to launch raids. All Darius feels he can do until either Sizah or Casval (preferably the former) are defeated is lock down Cruibia, which is why you won't see Tawni, during the rest of her campaign, return to it, most of Howe's campaign has already happened by this point, and Sulaiman's campaign... well you'll see.

Yeah, I know you probably WEREN'T thinking that Saiduq could be one of Janiya's romantic supports (and yes, there ARE going to be romantic and even friendship supports in _Night of Tales,_ for anyone curious, but 1, no child units will be made/mentioned in _Night of Tales,_ and 2, they're going to be in story format instead of script, because I find it easier for me to do that for dialogue purposes), but yeah, I figured Janiya, who is a bit of a rebel and barely already cares for the niceties of politics, wouldn't mind being with Saiduq. Although he WOULD, in their support conversations, remind her that A, he's technically her commanding officer and even if he wasn't she's a princess while he's kind of low on the noble totem pole compared to Janiya, B, he DOES have enemies in the noble courts and it would be somewhat of a scandal for her to pursue him romantically, and C, he's actually a slower romantic support than Janiya's other suitors because of those reasons. This is in spite of the fact that 1, Janiya's other current love interests (Payam (who has a MUCH faster support) and Caspar) are both minor nobles, and 2, a lot of _Fire Emblem_ games that do involve romantic supports that the player can choose for themselves don't really care for rank... despite the time periods usually do.

Oh, I plan to explore the genies-to-ghouls thing a LOT. And to answer the question, it's not exactly a well-known thing by most humans. Typically, those who are trained to defend against magic like Templars and their promotions, royals like Yasmin and Darius, high-ranking members of the military, skilled travelers like Guaril, old dragons like Adre, and genies themselves are the only ones who really know how ghouls are made. But nobody really likes them, because ghouling a genie is typically a last resort in Orobian warfare, since despite how hard it is to actually kill a bound genie in comparison to fighting ghouls, at least there's ONE genie in that case.

 **Ike:** Yeah, I wanted those who thought to submit a character who was at least part-genie to know if they're going to have a bound object, they need to protect it.

And yeah, I always did plan for there to be romantic supports... just don't expect to be playing, "pairing for stats for a second generation" like you would in _Genealogy, Awakening,_ or _Fates_ if you really wanted to metagame. In fact, there are no playable child units in _Night of Tales,_ because I refuse to try to justify them playing a role in this story or making them now for our heroes, nor do I want YOU all, who actually submit OCs for this project, to actually feel pressured to try to pop out child units.

 **Guest:** Well, I'm trying to make Zeke a good boy. We're still working on it, but thank you very much for understanding that my priorities have been a bit scrambled.

Yeah, Sizah is an evil bitch. And to answer the question about Megtra, a bit of both, really. Sizah's Dragon Domination spell makes her a bit more compliant with Sizah's demands, but Sizah has been pushing Meg to her physical, mental, and emotional limits, and has been repeatedly been abusing her over the course of a month, during which Sizah has been gathering small groups of allies. Sooner or later, Megtra may break down, if not die, if she's not given some help, and Sizah won't give a damn.

 **ZenoZen:** Thank you. Yeah, Janiya's surprised ME with her popularity. I honestly thought Tawni would be higher than her and Howe... and I'm not surprised to see Sulaiman right now towards the bottom. Please give him a chance to shine.

Yeah, Sulaiman and Aladdin are both a quarter ifrit. Real ifrits in Islam refer to them as powerful and dangerous genie spirits, so while Minoo was the hero of her generation, Etti the smart girl, Adre the big girl, and Kalia was the chick, Farah was the lancer, and a damn powerful one. Makes you wonder how she ended up dying in the prologue. And ifrits in _Night of Tales..._ well, let's just say Sulaiman may be slow to anger, but his rage breaking point will be explosive. Not to mention he ends up starting out at the highest level of all four "lords".

Yeah, so far, we know of at least one current carrier of the Fire Emblem fragments: Yasmin. The other ones are unknown... for now.

Wait, are you doing a codex. If the answer is "Yes"... you and I need to talk. You can also talk to LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green if you want more information about Casval, the name of the masked Crusader who would have handed Janiya her ass had Darius and Yasmin not been there. Casval is an interesting and ruthless villain, I couldn't say no to including him. Also, he and his forces gives me a good idea for a major arc.

 **Consort:** Actually, they're not joining Janiya, they're staying in Adre's village as caretakers, simply because Adre trusts them to not let everything go to hell. Janiya won't run into them during her campaign... but maybe during the main story. It will be interesting to see them with either Tawni or Sulaiman... but there's no telling if they'll join then or later on. The two's stories may have them pass through their area, but go on.

As her uncle points out at the end of Janiya's chapter, she's very lucky to be alive. Had Darius not played Papa Wolf and redirected Casval's sword swing, Janiya would have more than briefly lost the use of her magic as well as a lot of blood in her arm. She'd be dead.

Well, yeah, Templars are MEANT to make people rethink how to fight armored units. You can't magic them to death like you would a knight, general, or great knight. They don't have lances, so you can't just use an axe to chop them down. The best bet is to use an armor-piercing weapon or a lance like Saiduq does.

Sizah, twice before, tried to destroy Cruibia with no real plan but overwhelming force. This time, she's still using overwhelming force... but she's getting an army together. Devastation is inevitable, but Janiya's going to try to form her OWN plan to counter the Chaos Djinn into making a fatal mistake.

Alright, next time, we're going to see Tawni infiltrate a Thief's Guild hideout. Farewell, my subjects!


	12. Tawni Chapter 3: Slavemaster's Lair

A/N: And now, we're back to my favorite of the protagonists, right before my birthday (April 10). Tawni is back, and this is her infiltration into an Ustrosi Thieves Guild stronghold. Yes, it's a bit more lighthearted than the other three protagonists, but Tawni is a somewhat funnier protagonist than the other three, fully rolling with the quirks of everyone around her.

* * *

 _Summary:_ _Tawni promised her new friend, Himli, that she'd help save his family. Here, she and her band, following the thieving footsteps of her father, pull off a daring heist on an Ustrosi Thieves Guild hideout._

* * *

 **Tawni's Tale, Chapter 3: "Lair of the Slavemaster"**

* * *

 **Kingdom of Poswa, Town of Turami—The Following Day**

Tawni and her group walked into the town, Tawni looking at her dress once again. Kareem, with a surprisingly gentle smile, said, "You're okay, Tawni. There's not a speck of mud on your clothes. You're above ground with the rest of us."

"I'm sorry… I just still feel nervous," Tawni shuddered. "It's terrible we have to go BACK there to retrieve the rest of the camp when we're done with these slavers."

"They'll be fine," Guaril assured her. "You're not trapped in a cave, you're not trapped in a cave. You are out and about, you are free. You're not sinking into the ground."

"...Thank you, Father," Tawni said.

"And even if you were sinking," Jamal chimed in, "you know the rest of us would go through Hell in a heartbeat just to save you." He then declared, "Suntem romi. Avem întotdeauna protecția noastră {We are Romani. We always protect our own}."

Tawni recited, "Putem merge pe căi diferite, dar romii călătoresc sub același soare în deșert. Putem asculta diferite cântece, dar noi romani dansăm sub aceeași lună luminată. Putem să ne îndeplinim în circumstanțe diferite, dar noi, romani, ne distrăm aceleași mase. Putem să vină din medii diferite, dar noi, romani, vom sângera același sânge roșu. {We may go different paths, but we Romani travel under the same desert sun. We may listen to different songs, but we Romani dance under the same bright moon. We may perform under different circumstances, but we Romani entertain the same eager masses. We may come from different backgrounds, but we Romani bleed the same red blood}."

"That's quite the vow," Nasira breathed. "I'm only able to understand a bit ever since I first heard it… but it still sounds amazing."

"It is," Akiba said, getting off her camel, and hitching it to a nearby post. The camel gave her a playful snort.

"So, you all think you can save my family by asking around?" Himli asked.

"Well, it's a starting point," Guaril said. He then looked at a tavern, and said, "You kids stay outside. Akiba and I will ask around." The two older members walked in, leaving Tawni and the others to themselves. Jamal and Kareem walked off to who knows where. Tawni then smirked, and casually unstrapped her leg pouch, placing it on the ground, opening it.

"Um, what are you doing?" Himli asked. He was then surprised to see Tawni clasping her hands together, and began singing.

 _"_ _Oh great dragons and djinn of old,  
are you truly there?  
If your presence yet remains,  
please listen to this child's prayer._

 _"_ _Guide our people to the light,  
away from this forsaken grave.  
Release us from our dark plights,  
and break the shackles of this slave…."_

Himli and Nasira watched as Tawni began dancing to her singing, and a crowd formed. Nasira was entranced by the song, as Tawni added lyrics.

 _"_ _My father is called a madman  
For the many things that he's done.  
If forging me was a great sin,  
to him, it's just another one._

 _"_ _His numerous travels brought him  
to a tragedy by the ruined road's side.  
To many folks, they found just a lone survivor.  
To my father, he found his mystic bride._

 _"_ _My mother was a young heart  
with an innocent, sweet, and gentle life,  
May history look upon her,  
and judge her undeserving of such strife._

 _"_ _For one day her people's enemies  
assaulted her family's beloved home,  
and she only survived the nightmare  
because that's where her groom had roamed!"_

Nasira beamed at the mystical song and Tawni's dance, but then turned to a confused and stunned Himli, who was watching the crowd's reactions. "What's wrong?" the dark mage aged the poor villager, who was concerned with the crowd's reactions. "It's a lovely melody and story. A tragic family? A mystical dance? It works!"

"Don't ya know?" Himli asked Nasira. "This is 'the Requiem of Freedom', or 'Rerci's Prayer'!"

"'Rerci's… Prayer'?" Nasira repeated. "I thought the song was describing Tawni's potential story! I'm afraid I don't know Rerci's song."

"What the… how!? Almost every Orobian has at least heard of 'Requiem of Freedom'!" Himli replied. "It was used as a hymn for slaves begging for freedom! Unless… are you Orobian?" Nasira shook her head. "Then you don't really know about Rerci, do you?"

"I really don't know anything," Nasira replied, watching as Tawni kept dancing. "All I've really heard about Her is that She's some kind of religious figure here."

 _"_ _A noble angel and a rogue demon,  
quite a pair unthought of by fate!  
Neither set out to find true love,  
but in each other found a soulmate!_

 _"_ _Years they spent together  
on the run from the rest of the world,  
not sure what laid ahead for them  
on the new path they unfurled."_

"Rerci isn't just a 'religious figure,' Himli said while some people threw coins into Tawni's bag, making her smile with a flirty wink and eager grin as she kept up her dance. "She's absolute proof that sometimes gods can be born of mortal creatures! She's… she half-manakete, half-genie, and all the power that entails!"

"Half-manakete, half-genie… oh my," Nasira said. "When I first came to Orobia, I heard that djinn are powerful magical spirits, and I've heard that manaketes are dragons in humanoid bodies who bound themselves to stones to curb their great power from overwhelming them with madness! Are you saying that Rerci is a hybrid between the two?"

"Yep," Himli said. "The only one people know about. And people feared that when She reached adulthood, her power would be so strong, She'd burn down the whole world! By accident, even! Add in that Dragon-Djinn War that happened about 5,000 years ago over which side of Her that She was more drawn to, and that was mankind's last straw. Five human mystics managed to defeat Her, and then they locked Her up and threw away the key, at the cost of their lives! Now She's somewhere far away, where She can't destroy us! Legends say whoever frees Her can get any wish they want, even those beyond ordinary Djinn magic. That is, if She's in a forgiving mood! Still, Her existence is controversial! I've heard not too many slavers, manaketes, or genies like Her…." He then stopped to see that a few cloaked people were pushing through the crowd.

"That explains the attack on our play," sighed Nasira. She watched as Tawni stopped dancing, and tears slide down the gypsy storyteller's face. "Still, it's odd this song sounds like it would fit Tawni, too…."

"Huh?" Himli asked, looking at Tawni crying. Tawni began her song again, barely a whisper.

 _"_ _The couple was quite happy  
in their newfounded wedded bliss.  
When I was soon born,  
they greeted me with just a loving kiss._

 _"_ _However long it was, though,  
their happiness did not quite last;  
for a betrayal by the demon's brother  
sent their world spiraling down fast."_

With that, Tawni's eyes shot upon, tears still there, and the girl began dancing with an intensity that was not the flirty, calm, or playful Tawni's norm. Instead, it was fierce, powerful, and almost like she was begging for acceptance but was brutally denied. At this point, people were throwing even more gold into the open pouch.

 _"_ _The desert nights were not yet ready  
for a soul of two worlds like me,  
so I'm both feared and desired  
by the great powers that be._

 _"_ _I only wish for peace,  
I pray that it's not yet too late!  
Oh great gods of old,  
please undo this cruel hand of fate!_

 _"_ _I plead to you, dragons and djinn,  
to show some kind of mercy!  
I never asked for this trial of Hell,  
I never prayed to be me!"_

Tawni then stopped while the six cloaked people made it to the front, knives in their hands. Before they could approach her, Kareem and Jamal stepped out and each tackled one. Himli and Nasira both jumped a third. The other three rushed at Tawni, but a blur rushed out of the tavern, revealing it to be Guaril, blocking one's dagger with his own, and then Guaril disappeared before smacking the . The fifth man heard a whistle, and was kicked by Akiba's camel. This left the final attacker rushing at Tawni. However, the gypsy coyly dodged the initial dagger attack, quickly leaned down and grabbed one of her daggers, and threw it, stabbing her assailant in his shoulder, making him drop his dagger. She then picked up the dagger he dropped, and made him kneel.

"That worked better than I thought it would," Tawni sighed, "eh, Father?"

"Perhaps," Guaril said, looking at the man he had captured. "Still, you shouldn't invoke most slavers' dislike of that song because it involves slaves' prayers for freedom. So… are you Ustrosi Thieves Guild slavers?"

The slaver in his hands asked, "Um… if we say 'yes', will you spare us?"

"If you tell us where we can find the Slavemaster," Tawni replied. "Then you'll live… AND we'll know where to find Himli's family."

"Wait," Himli said, "you risked being attacked by Ustrosi Thieves Guild slavers to help me?"

"Of course," Tawni smiled, giving him a cute wink and making him blush. "You're a friend, now, Himli. We made a promise to help your family. I honor my promises." Turning back to the rogue in her hands, she asked, "So… where are we going?"

* * *

 **The Slavers' Hideout—Several Hours Later**

"So," the slavemaster, a green haired man with a dirty red shirt, black pants, a brown hat, and a whip at his hip and dagger at his side said, "you mean to tell me that a band of gypsies lead by Guaril himself are comin' for my head?"

"Yes, he is," Vova said. "Sadly, we lost them before we could stop them for you, didn't we, Viva?"

"I'm afraid so, Vova," Viva confessed. "You have our apologies, Esmaeel."

"Well, you two at least warned me that they're coming," Esmaeel said. "Better than what our boss would have done. For that, I'm going to politely hide the fact that you two want to do this scheme with the Pharaoh of Rusnad. But… can we split the profits?"

"But of course," Viva nodded. "It's the least we owe you, right, Vova?"

"I suppose we should be generous, Viva," Vova nodded. "There's no way we'd be able to sneak this behind Mawdood's back without you, Esmaeel."

"Then it's a deal, gentlemen," Esmaeel said. "I'll soften up these gypsies for you, you guys personally hand over Guaril to Mawdood, I'll offer the Pharaoh his prize, and we'll split all of our profits, and we'll retire from the Thieves Guild like kings!"

"I hope it is the infamous gypsy trickster Guaril," an male voice said. The three looked to see a man with dusty mining clothes… and a dinged up pot on his head. "Because if it's him, you slavers are all as good as dead."

"I see you haven't finished breaking these slaves, yet," Vova said.

"Oh, I plan to," Esmaeel said. "Although I'm slightly disappointed and actually impressed this old man's will has stayed after I did a bit of a… side business."

"Explain," Viva requested.

"Okay, you know the Argelians coming?"

"You mean the same Argelians who started this war we're profiting off of right now?" Vova recalled.

"Yes," Esmaeel said. "The same ones who have been chasing us atop of the northern rulers since that privateer tactician helped take down Ustros. Anyway, a group of them, certainly not part of the main Imperial army, approached me not too long ago, asking for a virgin girl. Among the slaves you rounded up for me were a few young women, so I reasoned that at least a couple of them were virgins. You know that most Poswali maidens take their 'first times' seriously."

"Almost as seriously as gypsies, I've heard," Viva recounted. "But while it's easier to lure a Poswali girl into your bed before marriage than an actual gypsy, the girls of Poswa are utterly convinced that their first lovers are destined to be with them forever."

"Anyway," Vova guessed, "you sold one of these girls to these Argelians?"

"Well… yes," Esmaeel said. "They didn't seem interested in having their way with her, but they were insistent that it was a young virgin woman they took. They didn't even give me time to brand her, even paying triple what Mawdood would have for a quick deal to ignore her slave training. And guess what? She was HIS daughter."

"My dear Fidda," the old man scowled. "You better hope that my son Himli doesn't get to you, you monsters! He may be my youngest child, but he's damn protective of his big sisters!"

"Himli?" Viva asked. "Vova, wasn't that the name of the boy who ran into the gypsies with Guaril?"

"I do believe it was, Viva," Vova nodded. "I guess that means they've either teamed up or Guaril's gutted him. But that wouldn't be Guaril to kill a young boy, so… the more likely thing is that he's bringing the boy here."

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, Esmaeel," Viva said. "Do you want us to stay?"

"Nah, my boys and I can handle Guaril and his people," Esmaeel said. "I have this place way heavily trapped, and I even convinced some Poswali knights to join us to beef up security. Even the legendary thief Guaril and that new wife of his would have difficulty breaking through them! Now, if I could keep my rogues in line, and away from my treasure, this place would be a proper fortress."

"Oh, maybe this Guaril character would struggle against you," a young woman about 19 with long, magenta hair in a pair of pigtails, wearing a teal, shoulderless two-piece dress that exposed her midriff, slightly pointed ears, and fierce glowing green eyes, "but you guys really messed up when you took me!"

"You really have mouthy slaves," Vova observed.

"Hey, I'm just warning you," the girl said. "My buddy Dodi isn't gonna be too happy about his beloved best friend Node being kidnapped by Ustrosi Thieves Guild thugs. He's a swordsman who has his dad's Armorslayer! He'll slice your corrupt knights to pieces, and then come after you!"

"...We'll just see about that," Esmaeel grinned. "I'll kill him in front of you. Maybe that will keep you in line, little djinni." Node raised her hands, showing off the golden handcuffs on them.

"You're just lucky these are orichalcum-laced cuffs, or I would have busted myself out of here! I'll just have to look forward to watching you guys get worked over by Dodi." Viva and Vova then walked out, leaving Esmaeel to prepare his defenses.

Meanwhile, Tawni's group finally arrived outside the hideout. "Alright," Guaril said, looking at the place. "It seems we've made it to the place. Now, removing Esmaeel SHOULD make these slavers consider a career change. Either that, or we can free all of the slaves, make sure they escape. That too would put Esmaeel out of business. Tawni, I'm leaving that call up to you, alright?"

"Not that I don't appreciate the vote of confidence, Father," Tawni said, "but what's with you letting me make all of these major calls, lately?"

"...I'm not getting much younger," Guaril confessed. "The rom baro position may need filling one day."

"Father, female rom baros aren't too often heard of," Tawni said. "The elders wouldn't respect me."

"They will," he assured her. "I know a Romani woman named 'Anna', a trickster from a different clan. She taught me a few tricks, and I owe her a favor. Now, again, I'll leave the call of the riskier but more rewarding move of freeing the slaves now or just eliminating Esmaeel and then freeing the slaves to you."

"Okay," Tawni said. She then noticed a young, slightly muscular man with orange spikey hair, slight stubble on his face, blue eyes, a green shirt under a dark brown chestplate and brown leggings, and a large, thick sword at his side approaching the main entrance. "Who's that?"

"I hope he's not here to transport my family to Mawdood," Himli breathed.

"I don't think he is, but I'll make sure," Tawni said. When shot a look by the rest of her fellow gypsies and Himli, she explained, "It's better we sort him out, now, than risk him being a threat, later. Besides, Father can still pick that lock."

"Still, you shouldn't go alone," Jamal said. "Let me come, at least."

"Mulțumesc, Jamal {Thank you, Jamal}." Jamal allowed Tawni onto his camel, and the two rode towards the myrmidon, who already had his hand at his sword. "Whoa, whoa, calm down," Tawni said. "We couldn't help but notice you getting ready to break in, here."

"Yeah, I am," the myrmidon said. "This slaver took my friend, Node. They made me chase them halfway across Orobia to find her, so I'm going to gut them for running all this far from Upril. You with them?"

"What a coincidence," Tawni smirked. "We're not. In fact, we're about to break in here, ourselves, and do a bit of rescuing. Want to help out each other?"

"...Good point," the myrmidon said. "I can take the knights this guy has down, no sweat. But his magi and explorers are gonna be trouble. You look like someone who deals with magi and whip users much easier than I would."

"I try," Tawni said. "By the way, I'm Tawni. And you, sir?"

"Call me Dodi," the myrmidon answered. "Now, fair warning, Tawni: I'm only here to rescue Node. She's an unbound genie. You know, magical glass cannons… once they're cut off from magic, they're easy to take down. Problem is she's so confident that I'm gonna save her she's probably mouthing off the dumb schmuck whose in charge. If you or your people don't free her cell before she pisses off the wrong person enough that he considers it worth killing her and he follows through with it… more than this deal will be cut off."

"Threat to my life acknowledged," Tawni said. Tawni and Jamal watched as Dodi walked forward, raising his sword to the heavily armored knights. When one of the knights approached him, he dodged their lance, and returned with a powerful slash. His sword crushed in the man's armor, leaving him to die a painful death. Tawni, meanwhile threw one of her new iron daggers, which didn't do a lot on the surface… but weakened the man. "Jamal, now!"

"Right!" Jamal said, rushing up to him and stabbing the man for decent damage with his lance. Although he himself was wounded afterwards, he wasn't as bad as the knight when Dodi got to him. Guaril, meanwhile, had opened up the lock on the side Tawni was originally on, and was leading the rest of the gypsies inside. Nasira, spotting another knight, launched one of her Wind spells, taking advantage of the knights' low resistance to magic. However, she saw behind him too late there was a hammer-wielding barbarian. Luckily for her, Kareem saw him, and blocked the hammer with his sword. He then slashed down the barbarian, and held up the hammer.

"Awesome, a weapon capable of ruining an armor-user's day!" Kareem grinned. "Now… how do I use it?"

"I'LL use it," Akiba said, taking the hammer from him. "With a bit more training and maybe a Master Seal, perhaps you'll be able to use axe-based weapons someday. But this is my specialty." As if on cue, a knight rounded the corner. Unfortunately for him, however, Akiba had her hammer ready to bash his armor in, breaking it and knocking him down.

"Gods, I love it when she uses axes," Guaril said.

"Well, she IS your wife," Himli admitted, looking around some of the cells while Guaril opened doors. Guaril pointed to the exit, and the prisoners ran out. "Shoot, none of these have my family in them!" He spotted a chest in one of the cells. "Huh?"

"Hello, there," Guaril said, walking in and opening the lock. In the chest was a Beast Killer lance. "Hey, Kareem… this would work for your brother, wouldn't it?"

"I think it would, rom baro," Kareem grinned. It was at this point the rest of the gypsies were joined by Tawni, Jamal, and Dodi, Jamal having struck down a rogue coming their way. "Hey, brother. Here you go." He rode over and handed the Beast Killer to his brother.

"Thanks," Jamal said.

"Everyone, this is Dodi," Tawni said. "He's here to rescue his girlfriend, Node."

Dodi blushed, and said, "Node and I AREN'T a couple! She's just a troublesome genie who mouths off!"

As if to prove his point, Node voiced to one of the mercenaries holding her captive, "Hey, buddy! I think my ride's here! You may wanna toss down that toothpick before Dodi gets here and shows you a REAL man's sword!"

"H-Hey!" the mercenary frowned. "Are you implying something!?"

"That the size of the weapons in your hands are compensating for other, smaller equipment?" Node asked. "Probably. Also, even if it was the case—which it totally is—it's not going to save you from Dodi coming here and gutting you. Also, his is bigger~"

"You are incredibly lucky that Mawdood's the only person who has the know-how in terms of binding djinn!" Esmaeel complained. "But your mouth makes you almost not worth it!"

"And Node's mouthing off, again," Dodi sighed, placing his palm to his face while Tawni opened another chest, this time holding a steel sword. "I sometimes wonder why I keep dragging her out of these messes if she keeps getting herself into them."

"Because female djinn are incredibly sexy and exotic," Kareem offered. Himli was the one to punch him on the head this time.

"First, my sisters, now his friend?" the miner asked. "Do you NOT control your libido!?"

"Oh, he doesn't," Jamal sighed. "If he wasn't my big brother…."

"And I thought I was sexy and exotic," Tawni pouted, small tears in her eyes. "Daddy, Mother, am I not pretty?"

"Trust me, Tawni, you have blossomed into a beautiful young lady," Guaril said, stroking her head. Akiba shot Kareem a glare.

"Isn't that right, young man?" Akiba asked. Kareem gulped.

"Yes, Miss Akiba," he said. "She's one of, if not the loveliest Romani girl in ALL of Orobia!" Tawni brightened up, and handed Dobi the steel sword she acquired.

"Thank you, Kareem!" Tawni said.

"Why don't I get the sword?" Kareem asked.

"Because you made me feel bad, before," Tawni answered.

"Also, because you're such a skirt-chasing idiot," Nasira said before blasting a barbarian sneaking up on them. That was before Dobi finished him off with his new sword.

"You gypsies are weird," Dobi said before heading forward.

"Tell me about it," Himli agreed, following him and Tawni. When a mercenary came out, he slashed at Himli, grazing him before Himli stabbed him and Tawni came with a second strike with her dagger. Guaril healed him, allowing Himli to quickly strike down the mercenary. "Okay, that was scary!"

"Mother, I think it'll be safer if you're in front," Tawni suggested, looking over Himli.

"Agreed," Akiba said, directing her camel to the front.

As the group got closer, Esmaeel soon spotted Tawni's group, and scowled. "So you're this little gypsy girl of Guaril's, I take it," Esmaeel observed. "You look just like how Viva and Vova described you… and not just because you're lovely." He then chuckled, "If you really are the daughter of who I think you are, I have to say Guaril was, for the briefest of moments, a lucky bastard!"

"Well, you're unlucky, buddy!" Node spoke up from her cage. "Dobi's here, and he's got his sword! Last chance to let me go and for me to convince him not to slash you open!"

"This damn genie," Esmaeel groaned. "She's slowly becoming not worth the gold she'll be worth once Mawdood gets her hands on her."

"Where's my family, ya monster!?" Himli scowled.

"The little miner boy," Esmaeel grinned. "You got away from Vova and Viva, I take it? Well, too bad for you: I'm not as merciful." He then brandished his whip, and cracked it on the ground.

"Get ready," Akiba said, spotting one of the knights coming forth. She grabbed out her new warhammer, and rushed at him on top of her camel. With a mighty swing, the knight's armor shattered under the blow. Akiba took a moment to admire her handiwork… before her hammer was grabbed by Esmaeel's whip, and yanked out of her hands, tossed back towards Guaril, who expertly dodged it before opening another cell. Before Akiba could be hit with the full brunt of the whip, Guaril, having redirected himself, leapt in the way, taking the blow.

"Okay, that stung," Guaril grumbled, getting back up. "He definitely has range to match my speed."

"Guaril, you can't heal yourself with that staff," Akiba chided, handing him a vulnerary. "Get back and let me handle this."

"Then get a lance, because you'll need both hands to use it," Guaril suggested. Akiba looked to see Tawni, Himli, Nasira, and Jamal taking on a pair of dark mages before heading towards a cell.

"Jamal, lance!" Akiba called. Jamal looked back and nodded, turning towards her.

"No you don't!" one of the dark mages called, preparing a spell. Tawni, seeing this, jumped in front of the spell and braced herself for the spark of electricity. It stung, certainly, but she was better off taking it than Jamal would have been.

"Tawni!" Jamal gasped.

"I'll be fine," Tawni said, kneeling down. "You hurry up and help Mother!" He nodded, and ran towards Akiba, handing her a lance while Tawni got back up and held out her knife, albeit slightly wobbly.

"You're not going to last much longer, gypsy girl," the dark mage taunted. "Unfortunately, boss man wants you alive."

"Tawni!" Guaril said, having picked a lock and pulled out a Physic staff. With a wave of the wand, Tawni was healed. She smirked, and sunk into a more stable combat stance.

Another spell was launched at her, but Tawni jumped over it, and, with some rather impressive acrobatics, landed with her left hand on top of the mage, her right hand brandishing the knife.

 **"** **Nu subestimați un rom!"** Tawni said, her dagger gleaming. She then slammed the knife into the dark mage's back, taking him down before dismounting with a front flip, and grabbing the dagger back from the now dead dark mage. His friend raised his hand to target her….

"No you don't!" Nasira called, flinging a wind spell to hit him, taking him down. She then grabbed the Elthunder spellbook he had, and checked over Tawni. "Are you okay, Tawni?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I got nervous," Himli said, coming over as well. "Otherwise, I would have gotten that guy for you."

"It's okay," Tawni said. "I'm better at enduring magical attacks than most people. Apparently, my birth mother was just as skilled at enduring magic." She then spotted an archer taking aim at Node in her cell. She then threw her dagger, hitting the archer, followed by Nasira shooting him with her new Thunder spell. Both women were grazed by arrows, but they both smirked when Himli ran up and struck him down with his lance. Dobi, meanwhile leapt over them, and slashed down the mercenary that was in front of Node's cell. Tawni then picked the lock, opening it. Node casually walked out.

"Well, Dobi, neat little friends you've made!" she beamed. She raised her hands to Tawni, who picked open the cuffs. "Who-hoo! This slavemaster messed up, now!" She then waved her hands, and a carpet appeared next to her. She then eargerly jumped onto it, and the carpet began to float. "Now, prepare to feel the wrath of the powerful Node!"

"Is that carpet… flying?" Nasira asked.

"This is your first time seeing a magic carpet, ma'am?" Node asked.

"This is my first time seeing a real life genie!" Nasira answered.

"Well, you're in for a treat!" Node said. "We of the jann clan of genies are carpet riders. We use spells while flying."

"But you're suspect to arrows, which is how you got caught," Dobi chided. "Try not to do that again."

"Sorry, you know how I like flying," Node said.

"Right," Dobi said. "Now, to make sure Esmaeel doesn't bother Node again…."

"Actually, there's another way," Tawni said, looking at a few more cells. "Let's get these last cells open, and then we retreat! Hopefully, Mother and Father can hold him off for a few more minutes."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Dobi said. He and Node headed ahead, Node demonstrating some skill with Shine, a basic light spell, on some of the barbarians before Dobi cut them down. Himli, Nasira, Kareem, and Jamal helped as well, and eventually Tawni opened the last few cells, and directed the slaves out.

"Pa! Ma!" Himli waved. "And Rumaana, too!" He then looked around, and asked, "Where's Fidda?"

"Fidda's your other sister?" Tawni asked, looking around. "Sorry, Himli, but that was the last cell."

"Himli," his father frowned, "I'm sorry to tell you this… but your oldest sister… she's been sold to a group of Argelians!"

"Argelians!?" Himli asked, confused.

"No time to analyze, it, now," Tawni interrupted. "We have to get out of here!"

"Yeah, we should retreat!" Guaril agreed.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you go!?" Esmaeel growled. Several more corrupt Poswali knights made their way into the hideout, cutting off the Romani and the remaining slaves. Esmaeel's remaining allies appeared nearby him. "Mawdood wants a word with you, Guaril! And your daughter… well, I'm sure the Rusnadi royal family will want her!"

Guaril frowned, and said, "Okay, so there's about… three dozen of you, and only a handful of us Roma. Well, it seems you have us." He raised his hands, but kept his fingers folded, and Tawni gasped.

"Father… you're not surrendering, are you!?" Tawni questioned, although very loudly. She then hugged Himli into her, and cried, "Oh, Himli, I'm so sorry! You counted on us, on me, to help rescue your family! You put so much faith into us… you even promised me your hand if we succeeded!"

"I… I did!?" Himli asked, confused and blushing. Nasira herself raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, did I miss a Romani cue somewhere?" the dark mage asked, leaning in. She then spotted a small smirk on Tawni's face. "Oh… oh!" Nasira realized. "I DID miss a cue! Himli, you did kind of hold Tawni's hand that one time for a very long time. It was kind of romantic."

"I-I didn't know that!" Himli said.

"Now hold on there, Tawni!" Jamal protested, albeit with a small smile. "He doesn't know our codes, you can't force the poor confused boy into marrying you!"

"Aw, but he's kind of cute," Tawni pouted, poking her fingers together after letting him go. "I bet our babies would be adorable."

"Hey, he didn't… he didn't even try!" Kareem frowned. "Nu prea pare corect că flirtezi cu băiatul de cărbune, Tawni {That hardly seems fair that you're flirting with the coal boy, Tawni}!"

"Ei bine, mirimidonul este și el drăguț, dar nu vreau să-l supăr pe Node {Well, the myrmidon is cute, too, but I don't want to upset dear Node}," Tawni winked. "Sunt mai mult decât fericit să fiu cu Himli în acest timp întunecat {I'm more than happy to be with Himli in this dark time}."

"Ești drăguț, Dobi e drăguț, Tawni {You're damn right Dobi's cute, Tawni}," Node chimed in. "Totuși, Himli este ușor pe ochi {Still, Himli is easy on the eyes}."

"What are you saying?" Dobi questioned.

"What the hell is going on, here?" Himli's father questioned for most of the confused prisoners. However, Himli's older sister Rumanna and his mother smiled.

"Aw, she's quite a catch, Himli!" his mother beamed.

"Well, isn't this cute!" Rumanna teased. "If only Fidda was here…."

"Ma, Rumanna, not now…!" Himli said, pointing to the confused forces surrounding them. "And even if that wasn't the case, Miss Tawni's not my girlfriend or fiancé or… whatever!"

"Actually, he's right," Tawni said, flicking a dagger up. "He's cute, but he's totally right. I'm not his lover. I'm just his beautiful assistant in this distraction. Father?"

"What!?" Esmaeel questioned. He then flinched when Tawni's dagger embedded itself into his leg. He then realized too late that he took his eyes off Guaril for far too long, and Guaril had several pellets in his fingers. "Someone stop that trickster!"

It was too late as Guaril threw all of the pellets to the ground around the Romani… which promptly exploded into multicolored smoke. Esmaeel and his remaining followers choked on the dust, but there was only the sound of several pairs of feet moving, as well as the occasional grunt. When the dust cleared, the Poswali knights were on the ground, having a difficult time getting up because of heavy armor, and the Dighton clan and the slaves were all gone.

 **Several Hours Later….**

"Damn it!" Esmaeel yelled. "So close to one of the greatest paydays of all time!" Suddenly, he heard camel steps approaching. He gulped, but headed outside to see a gray-haired, dark skinned man that was rather tall, at the front of a massive group of carts. The man had a thick black eyepatch over his left eye, and a right artificial hand, and a thick handlebar mustache that was black with gray streaks in it. He wore a red light shirt, black pants, a long black cape, a gold necklace, and had a longsword at his hip. "Oh, no…."

"Esmaeel, long time no see," the mustached man said, walking forward. "I figured I'd surprise you and collect my supply of slaves early. Where's the new stock?"

"Um… well, Lord Mawdood," Esmaeel stammered, "I had a fresh batch ready to go, but… they were stolen."

"I'm sorry, did you say 'stolen'?" the man, Mawdood, asked. "As in, 'someone had the AUDACITY to actually steal from me, and you, miraculously, didn't lose your life trying to stop them'?" Mawdood shook his head. "You have ten words to explain to me what happened, and I suggest you make me LIKE your answer."

"You see… my hideout was ransacked by Guaril and his gypsies!" Esmaeel answered. Mawdood blinked.

"...Guaril?" the thief king asked. "Did I hear that right?" Esmaeel nodded, getting on his knees to beg.

"I saw him and fought him myself!" he said. "Him and his blue-haired daughter! They freed the slaves I had ready for you, and ran like cowards! I even had a genie for you to brand! I caught her, myself! You would have enjoyed breaking her! I swear, you have to believe me!"

"Really, now?" Mawdood said. "...You know, I know you, Esmaeel. You don't have to guts to lie to me about a monumental interference like this. Zrisse did, and if he didn't get blown up when he decided to betray me, I would be wearing a cape made from his feathers. His bastard daughter, meanwhile, also escaped, so I couldn't make an example out of her. So, of course I believe you."

"Oh… oh, thank the gods!" Esmaeel breathed, standing up. "Thank you, Lord Mawdood! I thought you were honestly going to—"

 ** _SHNNNK!_**

Blood dripped out of Esmaeel's mouth, and he looked to see a dagger embedded in his chest where his right lung was, and Mawdood holding onto it. "B-B-B-But… Lord Mawdood… why…?"

"Well, you DID fail to protect my shipment, I didn't like your answer, this is the first time I'm now hearing about Guaril Dighton from ANY of my lieutenants that wasn't good news," Mawdood listed, "and most of all: that was eleven words when I asked for ten or less." He then yanked the dagger out, and let Esmaeel's body dropped to the floor. He turned to the rest of his people, and said, "So, old Guaril's back out and into the fray? You'd think what happened nearly five years ago would have taken out any fight he had left. And what's this about a daughter?" He chuckled. "Perhaps when I'm done with Guaril for good, I should 'introduce' myself to her!" He then laughed aloud.

"Hey, Lord Mawdood," one of the Thieves Guild members interrupted. "I know that we really need to kill this Guaril man for defying us, but… who is he, and how do you personally know him?"

"Well, you really want to know?" Mawdood asked. "Very well…."

* * *

 **The Roma Camp—Two Days Later**

"Dobi!" Node beamed, hugging the young myrmidon from behind. "Thank you again for saving me! Perhaps I should reward you with another wish!"

"Uh-huh," Dobi sighed, half-acknowledging her. Tawni, meanwhile, watched the scene with a mischievous smile on her face. "Is there a problem?" he finally asked her.

"No, just watching," Tawni said, leaning back. "I'm glad to see you two so close." After escaping the Slavers' Hideout, the band of gypsies and the former headed back for the underground mine, much to Tawni's protests (she only agreed because the caravan was still there). The slaves had mostly dispersed, some staying in the camp for safety until they could return home. Guaril had already made his decision to start heading northwest in the morning after the last of the would-be slaves were returned home.

"And I haven't thanked you, yet!" Node beamed, clapping her hands. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Node, a genie from Upril! As reward for saving my life, I will grant you a wish! So… what do you want?"

"A wish?" Nasira asked, walking over. "Do genies do that? Anything someone wants, you can grant?"

"Well, genies can use their magic to do various things," Node answered while Nasira sat down. "But there are limits. I can't force people fall in love with you, or raise the dead or use instant death spells, and we're not doing the whole 'infinite wishes' thing, that's bound genies. Finally, this is the big one: I can't use my magic to free Rerci Herself. I'd have to have either some of her DNA or an idea of where she specifically is, neither of which I have, and even if I did, I don't have anywhere NEAR enough magic to break her free."

"Aw, darn it!" Nasira said. "Tawni, I was totally going to suggest using your wish to have a conversation with your birth mother!"

"Birth mother?" Dobi asked.

"Yeah, Tawni's mother she has right now is her stepmother." Kareem said, walking over. Every one of them noted Kareem's black eye. "So, lovely genie, besides being captured by the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, what brought you south to Poswa? Looking for handsome men?"

"What happened to your eye?" Tawni asked, showing concern for Kareem.

"He tried to hit on Himli's sister that's here… again," Jamal said, coming over with a few plates of food. He handed one to Tawni, then handed one to Kareem, and handed one to Nasira before holding his own out.

"Well," Node said, innocently drawing a spell circle with her fingers, "Dobi and I returned home from overseas… he works as a traveling swordsmen with his Father, and I'm his translator genie. We just got back from Xuhua when we saw that most of eastern Upril was taken over. We were trying to get away from the Argelians when I got shot out of the sky. Such a shame, too… I liked Dihokuk!"

"Ooh, sorry to hear that," Kareem said. "Perhaps you need a strong swordsman to liberate it one day."

"Neat!" Node smiled. "Do you know where I can find one besides Dobi?" Tawni, Jamal, and Nasira all shot each other a look at how innocent that comment was, yet how badly it burned Kareem, who stood flabbergasted.

"I'm going to call my Father for that one," Tawni said.

"Call me for what?" Guaril asked, walking over with Akiba and Himli.

"Oh, just the rejection of the century," Kareem frowned, lowering himself. "And no, that doesn't involve the black eye."

"My sisters are off limits," Himli said to him. "And even if she wasn't, Rumaana wasn't comfortable with that."

"Yeah, um… sorry," Kareem said. "I suppose it's not the best time for that. Or a proper welcome to the three of you."

"Yeah… we're missing your other sister," Tawni recalled. "Fidda, was it? I can't believe those slavers sold her to Argelians! I've never been to the Empire myself, despite Father teaching me Argelian, but… slavery's allowed there, isn't it? I heard rumors that before the Widowing Massacre, the Empress was planning on abolishing it… I guess after the Massacre, she changed her mind." She then sighed, and said, "I promise, if we ever find an opportunity to smuggle ourselves over to Argelia, rescuing her will be among our priorities!"

"W-Wow, thanks," Himli grinned. He then noticed something off about her. "Hey, Miss Tawni," Himli said. "Are you alright? You risked a lot for me."

"I'll be fine," Tawni smiled. "It's just… that slave master said he was trying to catch me to sell to Pharaoh Ammon. I know there IS slavery in Rusnad, but… it's confusing as to why he'd sell me to Ammon of all people?" Guaril froze up at the question.

"W-Well, if I may be so bold," Himli offered, "you're incredibly pretty, Miss Tawni. And you're sharp-witted! You'd be quite the catch to anyone who'd be lucky to have you! But… I'd protect you, if you need it!"

Tawni smiled with a light blush, and giggled, "I appreciate your concern Himli. You're sweet." Himli blushed at the compliment from Tawni, but noticed the raised eyebrow from Guaril before Akiba lightly bopped her husband on the head for making the boy feel uncomfortable.

"Um, anyway," Himli said, rubbing his head, "thank you again for helping my family this much. And all of those other villagers. I heard that gypsies were glorified brigands that dress colorfully and con people to steal their wallets… if they can't get away with straight-up murdering their victims. I'm glad to see that's not the truth!"

"Oh, we still steal on occasion, but only from those who deserve it or can afford a few missing coins," Tawni said. "And as for murder, no. We fight in self-defense and defending others… not for the love of battle."

"Sounds to me like a tight-knit group, here," Node said. "You don't mind if Dobi and I stick around, do you, Miss Tawni?"

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Dobi asked.

"Dobi, would you really leave me alone after coming all this way?" Node asked with a cute pout.

"...No," Dobi said. "Fine, we'll stay with these Romani."

"Thanks!" Node grinned. Tawni then whispered something in her ear, and she beamed. "Ooh, I like. Let's do that."

"Um, Miss Tawni?" Himli asked. "You don't mind if I stay with you, do you?"

"Hm?" Tawni questioned. "Why Himli, are you pulled in by me?" Himli again blushed, but shook his head.

"I-It's more than simply that," Himli assured her. "It's my older sister. I want to help save her, too! I don't care how long it takes, or what I need to do… I'll earn enough money to get to Argelia and back, but I'm bringing Fidda home, one way or another!"

"An honorable goal, young man," Guaril said. "Well… all three of you, temporary or otherwise, welcome to the Dighton clan of Romani." He looked at Tawni, and asked, "Shall we, my daughter?"

"I don't see why not, Father," Tawni said. Tawni then skipped away for several minutes.

Much later, Guaril walked forward in front of the three newcomers. He, Tawni, Kareem, and Jamal then crossed their right arms across their chest. "Noi, romani prin sânge, vă recunoaștem gadjo ca romanipen {We Romani by blood hereby acknowledge you gadjo as romanipen}."

"Vă urez bun venit, gadjo, în brațele noastre și în încrederea noastră {We welcome you, romanipen, into our arms and into our trust}," Tawni continued, pulling out a small cup that had red face paint. She painted the three newcomers' faces, and recited, "Putem merge pe căi diferite, dar romii călătoresc sub același soare în deșert. Putem asculta diferite cântece, dar noi romani dansăm sub aceeași lună luminată. Putem să ne îndeplinim în circumstanțe diferite, dar noi, romani, ne distrăm aceleași mase. Putem să vină din medii diferite, dar noi, romani, vom sângera același sânge roșu {We may go different paths, but we Romani travel under the same desert sun. We may listen to different songs, but we Romani dance under the same bright moon. We may perform under different circumstances, but we Romani entertain the same eager masses. We may come from different backgrounds, but we Romani bleed the same red blood}."

Once Tawni completed her work, Akiba smiled, "Welcome to my and Nasira's boat, lady and gentlemen. You gadjo now are honorary Romani… a part of our romanipen. Get ready for a crazy ride. We're going to head to the northwest, soon."

Tawni smiled, and sat down, petting Calypso while joined by Nasira and Jamal. Himli, nervous, walked over to them. He then asked, "Um... gadjo?"

"It sort of means 'outsider'," Tawni said. "But now, you're a truly welcomed outsider, like Nasira. Expect us to be switching tongues a bit, by the way."

"Um, fine," Himli nodded. "So, random next question, but... what's with that necklace of yours?" Tawni looked down at her necklace, and held it up.

"It was a gift from Father a few years ago," Tawni answered. "He told me to always cherish it..."

"And you have," Jamal beamed. "It's been around your neck so often, it's like a part of you. Where do you think the rom baro got it?"

"I don't know, really," Tawni admitted. "He never told me where he got it. But after he returned after missing my birthday, he just gave it to me... and sadly apologized. But I don't think it was just missing my birthday."

"It was quite the party that day," Jamal recalled. "But despite the festivities, you... weren't smiling."

"Aw, such a shame," Nasira frowned.

"Yeah," Tawni agreed. "But... I just thought about something. You guys recall my weird dream the other night, right?"

"What weird dream?" Himli questioned.

"You weren't there," Jamal said, "but Tawni had a dream where her spirit left her body, and she was involved in a talk with six spirits. One of the spirits knew her by name, and told her to go to Rusnad... and be ready to protect her necklace with her life."

"Yes," Nasira agreed. "What a bizarre request by the departed. But since we're going north, and we need the funds to travel to Argelia to rescue Himli's sister... we may as well stop in Rusnad."

"But Father seems to have antagonized Pharaoh Ammon," Tawni recalled. "Add into this odd past Father had with Queen Nakia of Rusnad... and his mysterious alibi to the night of the Widowing Massacre... Father, please tell me you weren't lying."

"Huh?" the other three questioned.

"It's a hunch, but a dark one," Tawni admitted. "It's possible that Father... Father was aboard the Empress' ship the night of the Widowing Massacre." The three plus the walking over Kareem gasped. Looking at her father hugging Akiba, she pondered, "Father... what in the name of the gods did you do that day?"

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Well, that was a fun ride, wasn't it?

*Crickets from the Orobia vs. Argelia situation section, followed by a small "Boo"*

I know, this chapter doesn't exactly give much insight/plot involving Orobia vs. Argelia (Tawni WILL get involved against Argelia, later, albeit for her own interests and saving Orobia because she LIVES in Orobia). But two things: one, I warned you much earlier that Tawni was facing the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, not the Argelians or this chapter DOES do something I really wanted to do: give a small bit of world-building, between Rerci's song, and the small welcoming ceremony our new recruit's for Tawni's caravan had received. I'd like to remind everyone that this IS a fictional set of continents we're talking about that haven't appeared in any official _Fire Emblem_ game and as such could use its own mythos, customs, traditions, and people. Furthermore, Tawni, unlike Sulaiman, Janiya, and Howe, isn't a royal/mercenary, and she has to use her luck. Granted, she has her limits, such as her reliance on others to pull off her drawing aggro of slavers (since the song WAS used as an anti-slave hymn once upon a time) and also has her physical limits... hence why she can truly take down a mage, but has trouble with physical units, something she relies on the others to do.

Others like Dobi and Node. Dobi being a myrmidon carrying an armorslayer, and I've already covered myrmidons. Node, meanwhile, is a Jann, and since Janiya's tale seems to be the most popular, you SHOULD know that Node shares this class with Elahe. Yes, both girls are kind of impish while flying on their magic carpets... this is kind of intentional, as most unbound genies (and even some bound ones) are meant to be rather unpredictable. Needless to say, Node fits right in with the fun of Tawni's troupe.

Moving on, Mawdood FINALLY appears. I know, he doesn't exactly scream "final boss/big bad" in terms of looks, and is more Gangrel/Kempf than he is a Gharef/Rudolf in terms of looks and personality. That IS intentional. Keep in mind, while there are going to be the other two, I wanted a thief king capable of throwing his hat in the ring in terms big bads BECAUSE this is an _Arabian Nights_ story, and the Forty Thieves were meant to be seriously referenced/made out to be a threat. That's why Mawdood is so freaking evil. And Viva, Vova, and Sheba ALL have to work for this guy. Granted, Viva and Vova are going to be the heavies for Tawni's campaign, Mawdood will always be the Big Bad.

Now, I do believe I have some reviews I need to answer.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, Howe's campaign, despite being chronologically the first one, is meant to be played last because it's supposed to be the hardest in terms of difficulty because the missions are rather unusual.

Furthermore, picture yourself in the Uprilian captains' shoes: here you are, catching a group of Argelian ships suspiciously escorting a lone Xuhuan ship back to Xuhua. You've heard a rumor that the Ustrosi Thieves Guild worked with the Argelians to assassinate your queen over two years ago. Also, you happen to know that the Guild's literal dragon happens to be a Xuhua native who WAS in Argelia for an unknown time. Your train of logic would lead you to conclude that the Thieves Guild is STILL working for the Empire, when Howe's experience/evidence shows that Argelia is after Mawdood (and if Tawni's campaign is anything to go by, still doesn't have him). Then see Howe come aboard, heavily armed, demanding their surrender and blatantly saying that he needs the Argelians. Yeah, the time for talk has clearly passed.

As for Kairi... yeah, she's a very slow tsundere for Howe. In fact, of his female romantic supports, she's the slowest. Piper is a lot faster. And to answer the female question, just three aboard the _Sabine,_ and one gal off it. Maybe more later, but Howe also has Keyon, Adem, and Torio as male company.

I know the fact that everyone speaks the same language in the main _Fire Emblem_ games despite coming from different countries is rather weird. My logic is that there's a "common tongue" language to get past this barrier. However, in _Night of Tales,_ this is averted, and Howe himself struggles with other languages because while he's heard of them, he's rusty with it. Hence he still doesn't really know what Sema was fully talking with the Emperor about, nor does he get a pass with Torio. Kiral (the player character from the prologue), meanwhile, had never left Argelia before the battle aboard the _Aquarius,_ so he himself had terrible Orobian (the language we're reading). Since Orobia was mainly a continent where traders came and went before this war broke out, it was easy to see several people learning the Orobian common tongue.

Since the _Fire Emblem_ games are mainly turn based strategy/military tactics games, I felt the best way to bring the series forward would be to bring in full naval battles. Albeit most battles will be on land, but I wanted to give the player a bit of free reign in terms of using their ships.

Howe has a bad tendency to let his mouth move before his brain works. He's lucky Torio is desperate to save his princess, because this would be impossible, otherwise.

 **davidthemightypaladin:** Oh, I have Aurelia. I just haven't found a way to use her, yet. Maybe during Act 3... fingers crossed.

 **Consort:** Nope, just Zeke. But his full name is "Zeke Shadow Blue Brown". I know, complicated.

Howe has a very screwy moral compass. He THINKS he's doing the right thing by trying to force the war to end as soon as possible, but he's siding with the conquerors in an attempt to save his own skin after his mutiny to try to save his ungrateful former crew was shut down. Furthermore, Howe's actions WILL lead to some suffering, and Ugur, the more ruthless rival, wants Howe to embrace this dark side because he finds Sema too weak to lead the Argelian navy into the future of world domination. He's an ass, but he's an ass who can force Howe to actually decide if he's doing the right thing. He's not as reluctant as say Corrin or the Nohrian royals (on _Conquest)_ to stop an "unnecessary evil action", but we'll see if it gets him in more trouble or not.

Janiya's scenario is probably the most awesome and straight forward. She's going up against an old enemy of her mother's while trying to control her Leeroy Jenkins tendencies. Compared to the other three scenarios (Sulaiman trying to get to his wedding while taking a heavily detoured tour across Poswa and undo the country's political situations so they can focus on Argelia and NOT him while dealing with someone who refuses to believe he has Poswa and Orobia's best interests at heart, Tawni being an entertainer discovering her father's dark past and having to do with a Rusnadi noblewoman and a ruthless criminal, and Howe serving Argelia and trying to force the war to end so he can atone for what he considers his own moral event horizon (all while tittering on very real ones)), Janiya has the best, and people probably like it.

Yeah, that's an effective strategy. Alternate would be having a high-attacking mercenary with an armorslayer or a very quick myrmidon with the same weapon OR have a ninja, rogue, or gypsy two spaces away with a knight or physically tanky unit standing between them and a Sting Shuriken. Ultimately, Templars are the unit that one doesn't exactly mess with. I knew that when someone actually made a Templar as an antagonist, I needed an effective strategy.

 **World's End34/LordOfAwesomeness23:** Okay, when I update the previous chapter, I'll make sure Sheba is credited to you, so thank you for speaking up about her. And no, this won't be the last time we see her. She'll have a cameo in Tawni's Tale and in the main story proper.

Oh, you're allowing me to have her recruited by Howe at a later date? That's going to be quite the recruitment. And Howe's going to make a damn good pitch to talk her out of murdering him and into his crew if she's going to turn against Mawdood.

Thanks for the new OC, by the way... I'm going to have to PM you.

 **Wandering dude 1:** Well, thanks for the OCs. I will have to PM you about them, too. As for Sheba, she is pretty dang physically strong, because manaketes are physically strong, especially in dragon form. But let me put this in the following way: at Howe's current level in his campaign, it would be a very short fight had she decided to kill him for Zrisse right then and there. Furthermore, had Tawni and Guaril's group fought her, Guaril and maybe Akiba would be the only survivors. I'm that confident that Sheba is that strong right now.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** I appreciate your candor about Howe and Sulaiman's situations. It helps me improve my writing for these two. Sulaiman is aware that Poswa is kind of backwards because of this ancient tradition of paranoia, which is why he's getting out of Poswa. But not before trying to fix it as best as he can. Unfortunately, his campaign to try to bolster his image and change people's clinging to outdated tradition is going to be met with reluctance and skepticism at best, and outright paranoia like Zahar's at worst.

As for Howe and Argelia, I'm hoping people like Argelia more than Howe by the end of the story because it will be a lot grayer/nicer than the last couple "Empires" from _Fire Emblem_ (Valm in _Awakening_ and sort of Nohr in _Fates)_ to people. Argelia is meant to be seen as more than the standard evil Empire. Does it have dark spots? Absolutely. No Empire's perfect. Empress Chitra, while first seen as a friendly lady during the prologue, has some secrets she'd rather hide, hasn't been seen in nearly five years, and the Empire itself practices slavery, especially on genies. Meanwhile, Emperor Consort Nika is up to something with his military campaign, this Duchess Avdin has been a thorn in the royal family's side, and Princess Kadri seems to be helping her father with something while her good friends Sema, Habai, and Fumiko are all, in a way, causing some trouble. And then we have your OCs. Do I need to talk about them, or do I just mention Casval's crusade?

I think that's why Howe's story is popular, because we get deeper into Argelia's politics and movements than the others, and see that it is more than black with Cruibia being white and Poswa being a dark gray. Cruibia has some gray in it, too, because even though a Poswali man (Aseel) was the instigator of the last major Orobian war, Darius was incredibly ruthless/hellbent on revenge for his family that he showed some darkness and selfishness in him. His own daughter Yasmin has to be the voice of reason in the family now that Minoo's gone and her younger sister has trouble keeping herself in check.

Really, now? *Checks* Huh, you learn something new. Thanks for that. Still, I wanted to expand on naval gameplay, especially considering how having a Sinbad expy wouldn't feel complete without having some actual ship adventures... mainly actual naval combat. But yeah, the _Sabine,_ being Howe's baby, is meant to be upgraded, since having you on a small cutter for the entire game would feel a bit cramped, but I didn't want to give him a full freaking warship right from the start.

Alright, next time, Sulaiman FINALLY leaves Tanuhah, only to get involved in a bit of a mystery that will probably try to kill him. But before I sign off, one final announcement: After Sulaiman's chapter, I plan to take a brief break to start with _Night of Lore,_ a spin-off, "codex" series where chibi versions of characters already in _Night of Tales_ will take turns explaining and expanding on the backstory of the world of Orobia... while having fun poking fun at each other and events in the story. In my profile page, a poll will be up deciding if _Night of Lore_ will be its own fan fiction OR inserted between updates of _Night of Tales._ The first chapter will be version 1 of the timeline, and may be updated as events are revealed, so you may have to come back every once in a while.

Now, for real, we're done. Farewell, my subjects!


	13. Sulaiman Chapter 3: Departure & Detours

A/N: So, guess whose birthday it was?

Audience member who hasn't read a Kingdom Rider92 story before: Yours?

No, that was last week! It was my sister's!

Same audience member: Wait a minute, your birthday is one week before your own sister's?

We're two years a week apart, I'm now 26, she's now 24. Oh, and now, we have Sulaiman's third chapter and with it, the end of the Chapter 3 stuff of the mini campaigns. Fair warning, compared to the others, Sulaiman goes through quite the time skip between his second and third chapter. Although, granted, I plan to have Howe take a huge time skip between his next chapter and Chapter 5, where he does some minor missions that aren't important.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, everyone's least favorite of the four protagonists. Maybe he'll redeem himself. Let's get started.

* * *

 _Summary: After months of preparing, Prince Sulaiman and his loyalists set out to Cruibia for his wedding to Princess Yasmin Madani. However, Duke Zahar, fearing Cruibian invasion after Argelia was defeated or worse, Sulaiman making a bid for the Poswali throne, sets out to sabotage the wedding, including resorting to forbidden practices..._

 **Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 3: "Departure and Detours"**

* * *

 **Tanuhah Castle, Council Room—Three Months Later**

In the time after Sulaiman accepted Princess Yasmin's proposal, things had been moving in Poswa. However, Sulaiman's life had been anything BUT quiet these past few months. For starters, as he was studying things about his future home with the help of Idris and Lamia, there were whispers throughout the palace AND the town itself. Not a day went by, those first two weeks, did Sulaiman NOT hear about someone mentioning the rumor, whether during training, studying, or walking around Tanuhah.

One day while he was out the week before the wedding was announced (his father wanting to keep some secrecy), he was actually approached by curious citizens, who somehow heard the truth of the upcoming wedding. When Sulaiman finally relented the truth after about two hours of badgering, to his surprise, the citizens didn't riot or even question his motives. They seemed… very calm.

The nobility, to the surprise of nobody, were much more vocal. Lady Akhter, being a very nosy woman of the court, constantly pried about details of the wedding every step of the way every time she was over. Answering every single detail of the wedding he could tended to take up Sulaiman's day with that woman any time

House Gerges, to the relief of Lamia, was a bit more supportive, promising to lend his troops support for the final leg of the journey. although the young cleric wished her father would stop pestering her about her own pursuit of romance. In Lamia's words, "Father, you already have grandchildren courtesy of my brothers, calm down." Sulaiman was glad that some were in his corner.

Not that there wasn't opposition. Both House Botros and House Qadar had been offering the most verbal resistance. Sulaiman was not surprised to see it happen from House Bostros. Duke Zahar was always the first to try to talk down any plans that involved the second-born Prince Sulaiman, to the surprise of nobody.

Although Sulaiman was frustrated with the duke's antagonism, the younger did not blame him, if only because Zahar and the rest of the older generation had to endure Aseel, the late Sultan Wisaam's younger twin brother. He had assassinated Sulaiman's grandmother, blamed the Cruibian royal family for it, had his brother kill the King and Queen of Cruibia, and started a war, betraying almost everyone he had ever met, all for a bid for the crown, even getting his own children killed and killing his own daughter when she refused to continue working with his schemes. Zahar himself lost many good friends during the war.

The only positive thing Sulaiman could think off coming from his great uncle's war was that his father met mother. Although Lady Qiana was a second mother to the prince, she seemed far too negative at times.

From House Qadar, on the other hand, it was Ghayth Qadar, the young heir to the house, who actually seemed to be the voice of opposition. Ghayth was about Sulaiman's age, if not slightly older, and while his house had not offered any real opposition to the crown until the wedding announcement, Ghayth was suddenly very, very interested. Sulaiman wasn't exactly sure WHY, though.

Sulaiman did have his father and brother in his corner, luckily. Mecca was proud of his younger son for marrying his late wife's best friend's daughter. Aladdin, meanwhile, publicly voiced his pleasure and support of his brother getting married. This actually appeased those who were concerned for the most part.

But Sulaiman noticed a couple things different about the castle. The first thing that were black feathers at various locations. The royal family had a very good relationship with the local crow tribesmen… hell, they had a good rapport with ALL of the shifter tribes in Poswa, even the earth manaketes (although it was mainly because Adre, one of Farah's friends, flexed her muscles to get the manakete tribe to support her "blood sister's" marriage). However, there was only one crow Sulaiman knew personally, and he wasn't Poswali born, and he wouldn't be leaving feathers just haphazardly.

The old friend seemed to be trying to tell Sulaiman something.

The second thing Sulaiman noticed was how tense one of the castle's wyvern knights was. The redheaded woman… Cantara, if he recalled. Sulaiman only knew her in passing, since she joined nearly four years ago, but he saw how she tended to stare at his older brother. He was NOT going to interrupt that pining (although he had to admit, she was lovely, but he had Yasmin). But lately, Cantara visibly flinched when she saw him. Sulaiman knew that the woman was normally tough, so he found it odd.

But right now, he didn't have the time to go over it, as he was in the war council meeting his father was holding over the large astral crystal in the castle, accompanied by only Lamia and Barack. His brother, Aladdin, was late, and thus, Sulaiman was to take his place. At least, for a while.

"...And so," Mecca said, looking over the battle plan he had formed, "I've decided to send more forces to secure the north after those Romani had somehow snuck through our defenses. We've concluded that if Rusnad falls soon, the Argelians will most likely invade via the Rusnadi border about twenty kilometers northeast of Kashab. That means they'll most likely see your fortress and want to take it first, Duke Zahar, so try to avoid letting Romani breach your defenses. It may expose weak points."

 _"But of course,"_ Zahar said over the astral crystal image. _"My son Zaid and I are quite ready for them. Of course, the eastern barrier is a problem. There's a strong chance that the so-called Nightmare of Cruibia will take full advantage of the damage that bothersome genie woman Sizah inflicted, and finish off the country. From there, that Neo Crusader will most likely come in via YOUR territory of Turami, Marquess Khayrat."_

 _"I'm aware,"_ a purple-haired, older man snorted, brushing his thick robes that had an owl on the shoulder. _"All the more reason to hurry up and bury the hatchet with the Cruibians for good, because after the nightmare they've gone through, they'll need a bit of joy and lot of Poswali muscle to back them up. Which reminds me."_ He then turned to Sulaiman's trio. _"Lamia, Prince Sulaiman, are you all sure you're ready for this journey?"_

"Father," Lamia said, adjusting her glasses, "I've already taken account of our inventory. Lord Sulaiman's quiver is full of arrows, he has been given a brand new bow by his father, and he has been practicing with the legendary sword, Taryn AND getting used to Orenmir, as well. He also knows several genie-binding techniques, courtesy of studying his Mother's history and talking with King Darius himself, who once bound Sizah. I myself have refreshed my staff in case of emergency, I've prepared potions in the case we run into orichalcum-laced weaponry, I have plenty of water, and I've packed plenty of spare robes, since I'm so far the only woman going on this trip."

"I'm sorry, Lamia, for not having more female allies coming with us to Serirly," Sulaiman apologized. "I promise I will give you your own tent."

"Thank you," Lamia said. "As for Sir Barack, he has been overseeing Lord Sulaiman's physical training alongside Idris and the prince's new bodyguard, Nail. We should be able to get to Serirly no problem."

 _"I was wondering where he went,"_ Zahar said. _"Still, anything CAN happen between the time the prince leaves and the time he crosses the border into Cruibia. Given the circumstances of Sizah's actions and Cruibia's current state, I have to say, Your Majesty, we should cancel this wedding until we're sure that the Argelians are defeated. After all, we wouldn't want to send the prince that far away, only for his… betrothed to be killed before he even sees her at the altar."_

"I object," Sulaiman said. "Cruibia has held its own against the might of Poswa many nights past. If any other nation on this continent could face Argelia besides Poswa, my money is on Cruibia. After all, their princesses just faced a demigoddess without Poswali support. We should trust them to hold the line for us."

"Bold words, my brother," Aladdin said, finally coming into the room. "I'm sorry, I had an emergency meeting to attend."

"With all due respect, m'lord," Lamia said, "you always seem to be bouncing between one arrangement and another. Especially so, these past few months."

"Well, can you blame me?" Aladdin asked. "As the future sultan, people frequently request my insight."

 _"Prince Sulaiman, you might want to choose your words a bit more carefully,"_ Zahar cautioned. _"If this wasn't a desperate time, the level of support you voice for the Cruibians could be treated as borderline treasonous."_

"I voice it because I respect the Cruibians, both as former enemies and current allies," Sulaiman answered. "And someone whose lover is a Cruibian noblewoman. I support my future wife AND my current family and Poswa by doing this. If Cruibia falls because this treaty doesn't happen soon, Poswa will soon be alone. Perhaps you should focus more on Argelia than me."

"My brother, although controversial, has a point," Aladdin agreed. "We don't have time to second-guess my brother's intentions with this marriage to Princess Yasmin Madani, which are quite pure. Instead, we need to prepare our defenses and offer our support."

"Speaking of the marriage," Mecca said, "we should discuss your travel route, Sulaiman…." Aladdin then coughed. The pair of magi in the room then cut their magic flow into the astral plate, cutting out all of the holograms. "Aladdin, what is the meaning of this?"

"Forgive me, Father, for hijacking this meeting," the crown prince said, "but it occurs to me that, no matter how much I try to provide Sulaiman with my support, this wedding has very strong opposition in the noble court. Many of whom could easily attempt to stop the wedding by any means necessary, and make it look like an accident. So, the less people know Sulaiman's exact route through Poswa, the less likely he'll be ambushed. You don't know who can be trusted, these days."

"The magi worked for the crown prince?" Barack asked. "Wow… and here I thought crown prince Aladdin didn't have retainers."

"I don't need retainers to keep myself safe," Aladdin shrugged. "I can handle almost any problems that come my way."

"You didn't have to cut Lamia's father out," Sulaiman frowned. "Marquess Khayrat Gerges has always been loyal to House Nejem."

"Perhaps today, but like Duke Zahar said, a lot can happen between now and you meeting Yasmin at the altar," Aladdin said. "Including the Marquess deciding his late wife's death, seeing as she was part of Mother's detatchment, would be grounds to turn on us, now." Lamia frowned, but remained silent. Aladdin then channeled his own magic, and showed a map of Poswa. "Now, normally, brother, the quickest way to Turami and with it a secure way to the Poswali-Cruibian border would be a straight route east. The problem, of course, is that many people know this… including your biggest critics." He then waved his hand to show the images of Zahar… and a young man with wavy golden hair, wearing blue and black spotted armor. "We all know what will happen the very moment you leave Tanuhah."

"Right," Sulaiman said. "I am free to be challenged by anyone who opposes the wedding. So what, I'm supposed to just detour until I reach Turami?"

"Exactly," Mecca realized what his older son realized. "That way, anyone who wants to interfere with the treaty will have a hard time predicting your path, and as long as our alliance with House Gerges holds…." He then looked at Lamia. She sighed.

"I'll make sure my father keeps his loyalty to the royal family, m'lord," Lamia curtsied. "I know I'm keeping mine to Lord Sulaiman."

"Thank you, Lamia," Sulaiman nodded.

"There's no doubt in my mind that your bending the knee to Sulaiman includes your preparation," a male voice said. Lamia, Sulaiman, and Barack looked to see a few black feathers falling down. The three then stepped back to see a young man land in front of them. He had short dark gray hair and pale skin. He was about 5'6", and his eyes were closed. His slender yet athletic build was hidden under the bandages on his arms and legs as well as an olive green male kimono, a dark red hakama, and a dark brown sash with a blue-green jacket over it. On his bandaged feet were a pair of straw sandals. To complete his loot was a white scarf around his neck, and a kitsune mask, which he pushed to the right side of his head to look down at the ceremony. He didn't open his shut eyes, but he had a pair of small, black wings on his back. He knelt down to Sulaiman, and finished, "But you shouldn't be unwelcome to a little extra help." Barack and Haytham both quickly drew steel swords.

"Wait," Sulaiman said to the two. Barack sheathed his sword, by Haytham kept his drawn. "Sakaki? Anatana no? Anata wa dokoni ita {Sakaki Is that you? Where have you been?}?"

"I keep forgetting you and Prince Aladdin are both able to speak every known language, because of djinn blood," Lamia said, not facing Sakaki. "Still, what is a Giussean crow assassin of Xuhuan descent doing here?" She then yelped at how close he was to her when she turned back to him.

"Offering my services," the bird man smirked. Looking at Aladdin's image of Poswa, he said, "A very sound strategy, Lord Aladdin. But I think we can try to keep m'lord here to an actual route." He traced a few points, and said, "We'll start with Al Bajilif, stay predictable, and then head slightly southeast to this village, here."

"There's a village here?" Haytham asked. "I've never been there."

"It's been there, but it's rather small," Sulaiman answered. "You should try knowing our kingdom more than just protecting Father and Aladdin, Sir Haytham." Turning to the map, he continued, "Then we go north, skipping Kanganz all together."

"And with it, House Qadar's territory," Sakaki smirked, glad his prince got it. "I don't know what Ghayath Qadar's anger with you, is, m'lord, but fighting him isn't really going to earn us any hands. Granted, we're going to be exposed to Lady Akhter's gossipping in Ninawa, but I think it's worth avoiding a potential fight with House Qadar's cavalry. But that's as far north as we go. Instead, we'll head east again, and then south, right into the waiting arms of House Gerges. And once that's done, we'll go into Serirly, where your blushing bride will await us. We leave tonight."

"Us?" Lamia questioned. "And tonight? You say that like you're coming."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sakaki asked. "He may have studied strategy, but the prince needs a tactician to make sure things go smoothly. And on top of being an assassin… I AM a tactician."

"You once tried to kill Prince Sulaiman," Barack recalled. "Why should we trust you?" He then noticed Sakaki got in his face. "By the gods, stop doing that!"

"I had second thoughts because he was innocent, and Sultan Mecca himself brought me aboard," the crow-human hybrid answered. "I'm probably the best assassin in all of Poswa, if not Orobia. It's better to have me as an ally rather an enemy." Kneeling to Sulaiman, he said, "I've been m'lord's shadow from real threats for the past few years, now. Allow me to make my service to you official."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that 'best assassin' business," Aladdin said "There is another: Aleaqarab. Catching them has been a rather taxing chore. We don't even know if they're a man or a woman, or why they kill, but they've been active for years, now. But still, you are a great assassin… and you'll be a valuable asset to my brother."

"Agreed," the sultan said. "But we should expand your entourage, my son."

"I've already thought about it," Aladdin said. "I'm going to have someone sent out to meet you near Al Bajilif, brother."

"Thank you, Big Brother," Sulaiman nodded. "I'm honored to have you as an ally and approving of my marriage. Perhaps you'll soon settle down, yourself." Aladdin smirked.

"Perhaps when this war is over," Aladdin said.

"I'll let you finalize your preparations to depart, my son," Mecca said. "Although I wanted to give you a proper send-off, it would draw too much attention. Take care… we here of Poswa have much invested in this wedding." Looking out the window at a statue of Farah, he added, "May your mother herself watch over you." Sulaiman, Lamia, Barack, and Sakaki all walked out the room, while outside, a pair of wing beats faded.

"M'lord," Qiana finally said, "you know that Duke Zahar had a few good points… we don't know the extent of the damage Cruibia suffered during their quarantine. And Prince Sulaiman himself, due to his low popularity being second-born, is about to go on a long, treacherous journey in the political game. How do we know they'll be able to hold out long enough that Princess Yasmin will meet Prince Sulaiman?"

"We have to hope," Mecca said. "I know Darius, I fought him myself… anyone Witherbrand and I couldn't defeat isn't going to fall that easily. He's forced Argelia's Neo Crusaders back so far. And I think I've told you many times, Lady Qiana: do NOT underestimate the tenancity of House Nejem. We're strong, sturdy warriors. How else do you think we've kept this damn throne for years?"

"It doesn't mean you don't have enemies," Qiana said. "You should have sent more people than just a small handful of his loyalists to make sure Prince Sulaiman gets to the wedding." Looking at Haytham, she asked, "Why are you sending the Poswali royal guard?"

"Because, Lady Qiana," Haytham said, "the royal guard protects and obeys only the sultan and heir to the throne. Not the spare prince."

"He has a point, it's not their business," Aladdin said. "And we're sending some people. I've already asked your nephew, Rafi, if he'd be willing to work with my little brother. Add in that young knight Duaa, and my brother has some of the best for magic and melee defense."

"What!?" Qiana questioned, standing up. "Rafi!? Prince Aladdin, you should have told me before doing this! What if Prince Sulaiman's enemies decide to kill my nephew!?"

"And I apologize," Aladdin said, getting up. "But my brother needs the manpower to see himself safely to Cruibia's borders, and your nephew, if he wishes to become my magic apprentice, needs the field experience that my brother can and will provide. I think it works out best for them both." Qiana fumed, but sat down.

"Fine," the Vizier said. "Rafi can go on this venture. But he better call me every day."

"I didn't know you were such a worrying mother," Aladdin said.

"I worry about your brother AND my nephew," Qiana said. "Worrying about the royal family and keeping Poswa afloat is my job."

"And nobody in Orobia does your job better," Mecca commented while Aladdin sat back down. "Now then... what about that cursed privateer Argelia hired a few years ago? Is he going to be a problem?"

* * *

 **Stoneheart Prison—Hours Later**

On the outskirts of Tanuhah existed the entrance to a massive cave network. The founders of Tanuhah, including the Nejems, decided to use it as a mine for crystals, topaz, diamonds, and other ores. However, once the upper parts of the mine ran dry, the cave network was later converted into a prison. The prisoners were forced to continue digging, although the conditions were monitored quite well. That is where Maleeka, a mage of House Botros, was sealed away.

And where Cantara, the wyvern knight who was forced to betray the royal family (specifically Prince Sulaiman) to save her older brother from Duke Zahar, was forced to sneak into since the mage was the only one with a direct line to Zahar in all of Tanuhah without going too far.

"Prince Sulaiman leaves tonight," Cantara said to Zahar over the astral plate being held by Maleeka. "From there, his route varies from location to location, not taking a direct path to you or House Qadar. But at the rate the route he IS taking intends, it will be approximately four weeks before he reaches House Gerges. If House Gerges still honors its loyalty more than I have, it'll be a brisk walk to the border."

 _"That damn foreign crow assassin thinks he's a tactician, now,"_ Zahar frowned. _"And what's with the royal family actually HELPING this wedding? Can't they see this is a long-term con the spare prince is pulling off?"_

"They know that a treaty between Poswa and Cruibia will decrease the likelihood of any hostilities between our two nations and allow us to focus on our common enemy," Cantara said. "Also, you have no proof that this whole marriage is a political trap Prince Sulaiman is trying to pull off."

"And you have no proof this ISN'T Prince Sulaiman trying to take Cruibia and use it to usurp Poswa," Maleeka spat. "I mean, I wasn't expecting Prince Sulaiman to have over years wooed a foreign princess who happens to be the daughter of his father's old enemy, and then marry her to secure a true bond between Poswa and Cruibia, Orobia's two greatest military powers. Also, Prince Aseel was a long-term planner, albeit slightly impulsive, and he was almost able to take Poswa and ruined millions of lives!"

"I'm giving the younger prince the benefit of the doubt," Cantara said. "Although Prince Aladdin is an amazing man, Prince Sulaiman is closer to his great grandfather Sultan Gizeh than his great uncle Aseel. He's not evil… he just gets a bad reputation. Not all spare princes have done horrible things."

"Although it was Gizeh not smothering his younger twin son in his crib that led to the atrocities Aseel committed!" Maleeka countered. "For someone who lusts after the older prince, you're awfully defensive of the younger one!"

"I defend the whole royal family, not try to assault the younger prince in the castle because her lord lost a championship and a bet fair and square!" Cantara shot back.

"Yet you're willing to spy on him because of your big brother complex!" Maleeka taunted.

"Well, I wouldn't be here spying on Prince Sulaiman if the Duke hurried up and honored his promise and freed my brother from the executioner's axe!" Cantara shot back.

"He'll let you have your brother when the spare is stopped and Poswa saved!"

 _"Enough, you two,"_ Zahar interrupted the two. _"It doesn't change the fact that he's marrying into Cruibia's royal family. By supporting one of our enemies and letting the spare marry one of them, the royal family has committed treason against itself, and this wedding needs to be stopped. Surely, there are people who want this stopped as much as I do. But for now, I need to buy some time, at least."_ He turned away from them, most likely beginning to rummage around his desk, and said, _"I have just the thing that will at least slow the prince down."_ He showed them a glass orb. _"She should be around Al Bajilif, if memory serves."_ He then raised the orb up, and then threw it down. After it shattered, he said, _"That ought to do it. Such a shame… I may detest having to care for him, but my boy has some tastes in ladies. Too bad the peace of Poswa demands such sacrifices."_

"Duke Zahar...?" Cantara scowled. "What did you just do?"

 _"Cantara,"_ Zahar said, _"what I'm doing is something you aren't willing to. In order to protect Poswa from Cruibia, this wedding has to be stopped by any means necessary. To give me credit, I tried playing the 'nice way' for three months. I'm done with that. If it means arranging an accident or two, well... so be it."_

* * *

 **Poswali Desert Trail—The Next Morning**

Throughout the night, Sulaiman's group walked. They had to keep moving to keep up their body heat, but once sunrise finally came, the exhaustion had set in for them.

Well… half of them. Sulaiman's quarter-genie blood afforded him a higher amount of stamina, Barack was riding a camel, and Sakaki spent most of the night using his wings to scout ahead, since he could. Ebony, meanwhile, slept on Sulaiman's shoulder

"Are we there, yet?" Nail yawned as the desert sun finally rose.

"Nail," Sulaiman sighed as he looked up from the astral plate he was concentrating on, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you two hours ago: no, we're not near Al Bajilif, yet." He then said, "According to the astral plate, we're about two more hours out."

"But we're drained, m'lord," Idris frowned. "We've been walking all night…."

"What's wrong with the two of you?" Lamia questioned, although she was just as tired from walking. "You two are literally the best equipped for long desert treks, yet you're exhausted?"

"I'm bored!" Nail defended himself. "You'd expect whole armies coming for us, yet a lot of nothing's happened! Why didn't we leave in the morning!?"

"Had we left in the morning," Sakaki said, finally landing on the ground, "I feel Sultan Mecca would have been obligated to have a full ceremony. And with said ceremony, a lot of nobles would have had a chance to protest and know our route. The less people who know where we're going, the better."

"And when did YOU get to decide the route?" Nail questioned.

"I'm in agreement," Barack nodded. "Never thought I'd agree with the barbarian previously hired as a champion of a rival noble house of our lord, but you, Sakaki, were once an assassin."

"And I didn't follow through with the request," the half-crow said. "Can we move on?"

"Alright, fine," Sulaiman said, interrupting the potential argument. "Let's stop for a moment and eat breakfast, but then, we need to get back on the road."

"Only unpack everything you need for a short break, you all," Lamia said.

"Oh please tell me you're cooking, m'lord," Idris pleaded.

"What's wrong with mine?" Sakaki questioned. "I love cooking, and it's turned out okay."

"You have an equal chance of making a beautiful, solid meal, as you do making a kitchen disaster from the depths of hell," Idris recalled. "I should know, we did a job together, I had a stomach flu for a week after those mutton kabobs you served!"

"Unfortunately, you'll have to have to make due, while I hunt for something edible," Sulaiman said, setting Ebony down on a nearby rock. The hawk immediately flew out to hunt. "I think I saw some wild sheep a few minutes back." With a flick of his wrists, an iron bow appeared in his hands, and a quiver full of arrows appeared on his back. "Huh... getting better at small bits of magic like that." Lamia sighed, and grabbed her staff.

"I'll make sure he gets back," Lamia assured them before following Sulaiman.

"Well, I'll get the fire started, then…" Nail shrugged. "You know, it's a shame we don't find bear out here. I'd love some bear meat."

"...You eat bear?" Barack blanched.

Several meters away, Sulaiman and Lamia were looking at the herd of wild sheep nearby, Sulaiman aiming his bow at one of the lone sheep. "Almost got you…." Sulaiman whispered.

"M'lord," Lamia said, "doesn't this group concern you?" Sulaiman fired the arrow, killing the sheep with one blow and sending many more running, before turning to Lamia. She quickly bowed, and said, "Forgive me for being a bit paranoid, it could be because I've been running on a lack of sleep, but… I don't trust a couple members of our party."

"...I understand your concern and appreciate your candor," Sulaiman said. "But who don't you trust?"

"The obvious ones," Lamia answered. "Nail may be your bodyguard, but keep in mind he WAS once working for Duke Zahar and was hired to fight you. He saved us both, but it could easily be a ploy to gain your trust, and he loves to fight. And then there's Kagerou Sakaki… a Giussean crow assassin. Giuss may have Orobian descendants, but they also have Argelian and Xuhuans, and they're very strict about their neutrality. But Sakaki himself was once hired to murder you. The only reason you're still alive with him around is because he didn't use his Wingstone to try to claw out your throat… and this plan of his seems just too good to be true. There's also the fact that your engagement was leaked early… meaning that if Zahar wanted to prepare himself to ambush us, he'd have plenty of time to set up ambushes."

"True," Sulaiman frowned. "I understand your side and concern, but I hate assuming the worst of everyone I meet. I don't like giving… 'him' bad ideas."

"...I thought we've been taking care of that problem," Lamia gasped. "He's not gone?" Sulaiman shook his head.

"I've been trying to reduce the likelihood that I let myself be overtaken with dark magic through using the astral plate to discharge my excess magic and minor summoning spells," Sulaiman said. "But I can only do so in short bursts before the astral crystal I use breaks, and summoning from a short distance like from my pack to my hand only takes a small bit of magic. I'm better when channeling through a larger crystal, but Father wanted me to concentrate on the meeting, not the magic, and I didn't have time to unload my magic as I could. And I'm hard pressed to use combat magic like Aladdin. I'm stuck, and if I stay stuck too long…."

"You have to get your magic unblocked, m'lord. We all know that Lady Farah had her fits, but she managed, and she helped stopped you that one time. Although we had to rebuild the ENTIRE spare royal's wing, nobody died. I'm so glad Idris and Barack weren't around during that. But we need to fix this plug to your magic before we reach Cruibia, where they just survived an ifrit."

"I know," Sulaiman said. "Healer's orders, 'don't feed the ifrit too much magic'." He then sighed, "I wish I could find a djinn who could teach me how to control my magic better… or at least heal whatever's got it blocked."

 ** _PEWT!_**

Lamia yelled as Sulaiman grabbed her, and pulled her aside, barely avoiding getting hit in the leg with an arrow. The two looked up to see a female explorer flanked by several soldiers and mercenaries. "Brigands!? Now!?" Lamia questioned. Sulaiman raised his own bow, and pointed it at the explorer, who had her own bow raised. She then blinked for a moment… and gasped.

"Oh, damn it," the explorer breathed, before lowering her bow and curtsying. The mercenaries and soldiers lowered their weapons as well, and even saluted. "Well, it seems I've come across the infamous Prince Sulaiman! Praise to you, younger prince! Pretty girl you have with you, there! What are the odds that we'd cross paths?"

"Not as low as I'd like," Lamia said before checking over herself and her liege. "Is there any particular reason you just tried to kill us? Are you a brigand or an assassin!?"

"No, no!" the explorer said, adjusting her teal cape as she approached. She had sea green hair in a pair of short pigtails under her hood, teal eyes, and tanned skin, most likely from the sun. She had on a loose white one-shoulder shirt over a red undershirt to cover her rather small chest, a pair of thick belts, brown light brown leggings, and brown boots. At her hip was a whip. "Trust me, I don't really like hurtin' girls, but this is a special case! And even then, I'm totally sorry! I'm just doing some volunteer work with the town watch, doing some hunting. We were on our way back to Al Bajilif when I heard talking, and thought I heard you all talking about genies, here… and well, we're hunting a genie. The name's Ulfah. Just a simple hunter girl, otherwise. You should meet my friend, Rawiya. Huge fan of the royal family, that lass."

"Well, a pleasure to meet you," Sulaiman said, lowering his bow. "But why WERE you hunting genies? I thought my brother and I were the only two in Poswa."

"M'lord!" the voice of Barack called. It was at that point that Barack, Nail, Idris, and Sakaki finally showed up. "Did you finally get that sheep?"

"Oh, this one?" Ulfah questioned, pointing to the dead sheep. "Yeah, nice shot. Who knew royals could aim that well? But I'm not sure how much this is gonna matter, considering how likely we're gonna have ghouls who want to eat us more than lamb."

"Ghouls!?" Sulaiman questioned. He pulled out Taryn, and asked, "When and where!?"

"Um, what 'ghouls', and what ARE ghouls?" Nail questioned.

"Oh, right, this probably didn't reach the royal ears, given how much importance was on the weddin'," Ulfah recalled. "Long story short, nasty rumor that someone captured a bound genie's sacred object, brought it here, made the genie their slave. The genie escaped to Al Bajilif, but the captor may do somethin' drastic, if not stupid, and the genie ran off last night. Do ya know what ghouls are, Your Highness?"

"Just 'Prince Sulaiman' will do," Sulaiman answered, "and as a matter of fact, yes. Bound genies who have their sacred object destroyed and with it, their souls. Essentially, undead genies with a desire for humanoid flesh. Cruibia had a couple ghoul incidents these past few months, and if I heard correctly, there was a ghoul outbreak in Rusnad about a month ago. In Upril, a ghoul horde caused some serious damage." He then blinked, and said, "Please tell me you've identified the djinn."

"...I did," Ulfah sighed. She pulled out a locket, and handed it to Sulaiman. It showed not just Ulfah, but two other girls taking a picture together. One was a brunette girl with a red scarf sticking out of her hair about 17 wearing an orange off-shoulder dress cutting off at her knees, long, tattered stockings beneath black boots, bright chocolate brown eyes that seemed passionate, and holding a lance with an awkward, dorky smile. The other girl, who Ulfah pointed to, was a clear genie with tanned skin, red hair in an upward ponytail, a sapphire on her head, wearing a green choli that bared her full midriff and a pair of short shorts, holding a sword, winking her shining right red eye. "Her name was Thesin. She was from Ustros, and she admitted to being a bound genie who just escaped her master, was the only girl who met the pirate. Nice girl, sweet, purehearted for a djinn, a little timid but meant well… had the best ass I've seen on a girl in a while that's not Rawiya or your cleric friend, here." The rest of the group looked at the explorer, and Lamia blushed at the compliment.

"How about we focus?" Sulaiman said.

"Yeah," Ulfah apologized, "Thesin just gasped last night, held her wrists, and then ran… told me not to come after her. I rounded up a search party, and have been searching for her since last night… but she's not come back. I realize, by now, though, that it may be too late to save her. But she deserves mercy… which is why I've told these knuckleheads to let me be the one to put her down."

"...It might not be too late," Sulaiman said. "Too late to stop other ghouls from coming, but if there's still a bit of soul, left… maybe we can save her!"

Suddenly, moans echoed throughout the desert. "What the hell is that?" Idris questioned.

"The moans of ghouls," Sulaiman answered. "Everyone, get your weapons out, and prepare to fight for your lives. Lamia, you stay behind us and heal, alright?"

"Yes, m'lord," Lamia said.

"Well, better than Maus," Sakaki said, pulling out a blue wing-shaped stone. "Still, this is kind of an ugly variable." It was at this point that several purple skinned genies with sharp nails, very clear fangs, and drool slipping down their chins appeared over the hill. "And I mean ugly."

"Look there!" Ulfah said, pointing to one of the ghouls. It was one who wasn't fully ghouled, yet, but had green tattered clothes and red hair. She looked kind of like the girl in Ulfah's locket. "...That's Thesin. Lord Sulaiman… let me be the one who does it. Please. Do so, and I'm your girl. And I mean that in an 'I'll join you' kind of way, not a 'romantic' way. Don't get me wrong, I'm bisexual, but I'm not your speed."

"I wasn't going to ask," Sulaiman said. "But fine. We'll focus on the other ghouls… but I can't promise anything if she tries to go after any of us."

"Right," Ulfah agreed. "Still… try to avoid it if you can."

Sakaki clenched his wingstone, and his wings suddenly grew and enveloped his body. When they spread open he became a colossal black crow, cawing at the ghouls that began running at them. "Remember, Prince: Ghouls have stronger melee defense than ranged outside of orichalcum-based weapons! But since you can't use orichalcum, you'll have to rely on your bow or that new legendary sword of yours."

"That I can do," Sulaiman said, slashing a ghoul down with an earthquake-empowered sword strike. He then blocked a few ghouls' claws, keeping the ghouls at bay. "Sir Barack, Idris, Nail!"

"Got it!" Nail grinned. He came in, and slashed a ghoul down with his axe. "These things are supposed to be monsters?" He was then countered when another ghoul slashed him. "Okay… I stand corrected! Wait, can these things infect me? I really don't want to become a zombie."

"Nope!" Ulfah said, shooting the ghoul that slashed Nail with an arrow. Avoiding a Fire spell from one who was quickly set on by Sakaki's talons and beak, she said, "Ghouls ain't able to spread being ghouls just through bites or slashes. In fact, the only known way to make more ghouls is to break their bound object!"

"Why didn't your girlfriend steal back her sacred object before running away from the person who was enslaving her?" Sakaki questioned. "It wasn't exactly very smart to risk that."

"She thought she did, but it turned out the orb she snagged was made of glass, not crystal!" Ulfah said while shooting a few more ghouls that Barack finished off. "They were very close replicas."

"Seems like her captor REALLY wanted to have a backup plan," Lamia said, healing Sulaiman and Nail. "This is getting ridiculous. Where is Prince Aladdin's backup that he promised us!?"

It was at this point that two people showed up. One was a heavily armored female knight, about 19, with short orange hair, teal eyes, tanned skin a small, playful smirk on her face, wearing orange and pink armor over a somewhat muscular figure winged dolphin on her shield. The other was a short black-haired mage wearing green and teal robes, about 15. "Ugh… why did Prince Sulaiman wander all of the way out here in one night?" the mage complained. "I'm not cut out for this… especially dragging you around, Duaa."

"And I thank you for that," the girl laughed. "I know with my armor and muscle, I wouldn't have made it here, Rafi. You're tougher than your cute face looks!" Inhaling, she said, "Now, where's the spare prince!? I bet he'll be so thrilled to have an extra pair of hands, he'll BEG me to be a retainer for Princess Yasmin!"

"You want to be Prince Sulaiman's future wife's retainer?" Rafi questioned. "Why?"

"Well, have you seen Princess Yasmin?" Duaa winked. "The girl is beautiful, and she has those pegasus knight retainers! I bet they have just the right fashion tips. Not to mention that she could use my really incredible muscle. Besides, you're the one who wants to be Prince Aladdin's apprentice, right?"

"H-Hey!" Rafi flushed. "So, nothing wrong with wanting to study magic from one of the best. If I help Prince Sulaiman, he'll be sure to recommend me to his brother. Sure, Aunt Qiana has taught me a few tricks, but studying under Prince Aladdin would be amazing!" He then looked, and asked, "Oh my gods, are those ghouls?"

"Wait, ghouls!?" Duaa questioned. "Like the fairy tales? They actually exist!? Damn… and I was hoping they were a myth! And here Prince Sulaiman is fighting them!" She then pulled out a javelin, and said, "Well, good thing I brought some range!"

"But you're going to need me to get close," Rafi realized. "Alright, fine… let's get this over with."

"You've got to be kidding me," Lamia deadpanned, standing behind Barack.

"You could always promote, Lamia," Sulaiman said while the two newcomers joined the fight and aided the soldiers.

"Tempting, but not now," Lamia said. Sakaki flew by her, holding a ghoul in his gleaming talons.

"This is the part that hurts!" Sakaki grinned before flinging the ghoul upwards, and, as tit fell to the ground, dive-bombing it.

"Not bad, Sakaki," Sulaiman said, shooting a few ghouls. Eventually, he came face-to-face with Ulfah's former lover, Thesin, armed with a sword. He realized quickly like him, she was an ifrit. "Uh-oh." He barely raised his bow up in time to block her own iron sword. When she slashed again, he was too slow to dodge, and gritted his teeth in pain at the new cut. However, what she did next was what caught him off guard.

 **"P-P-Please… kill me,"** Thesin begged. **"I… I don't wanna be like this…."**

"Ghouls can talk…?" Sulaiman asked. His eyes then widened, and gasped. "No… you're not a full ghoul, yet…." He took out an arrow, and quickly slashed her arm, drawing blood. He then let her blood drip from the arrow… onto something in his hands.

"Thesin!" Ulfah called, running towards them. Several ghouls were in her way, and she furiously threw her bow down and brandished her steel whip, cracking it against the desert sand. "Prince Sulaiman, we had a deal!"

He ignored the explorer, and knelt down, channeling some of his magic. "Keep the ghouls off of me!" Sulaiman ordered. "I have a plan!"

"I'm usually the one who has the plans, Prince," Sakaki said, landing and smacking a couple ghouls away. Turning back to his regular form, he asked, "What's up?"

"Something that should, if it works, save Ulfah a LOT of heartbreak. If it doesn't, I may have made a dangerous enemy. Just keep the ghouls at bay."

"Alright, Prince," Nail said, cracking his neck. "Back into the fray!" He then lunged with his axe, blocking a ghoul that had come for Sulaiman. To his surprise, he heard the clanging of a shield behind him. He looked to see Duaa, the energetic knight, blocking an attack from behind. "Thanks, chick."

"No problem," Duaa said. "You're that barbarian Prince Aladdin talked about, huh?"

"Perhaps I've been mentioned," Nail said, grabbing a ghoul by the neck before embedding his axe into its chest. "You?"

"I'm just a cute, tough girl who enjoys herself shopping by day, and a brawl at night," Duaa smirked.

"Flirt later, Duaa!" Rafi said, flinging an Elfire spell at a ghoul to burn it. He turned to Sulaiman, and then said, "Wow, it's an honor to meet you, Prince Sulaiman! You have my support… but do you think you can help me out with becoming Prince Aladdin's apprentice?"

"Hypocrite!" Duaa called him.

"I don't think now's a good time," Sulaiman said. "Just watch my back… and whatever you do, don't kill her!" He pointed to Thesin, who was coming for them. Duaa blocked Thesin's sword with her shield, but she was exposed to a magic-using ghoul. Luckily for her, Rafi stood behind her, taking the magic attack. While he was stunned by the Thunder spell, he fired back with his own Elfire to damage the ghoul, which was followed up by Sulaiman brandishing Taryn, hitting the ghouls with an earth-shattering slash.

"Whoa!" Rafi breathed. "That… was… awesome! Who knew the royals had THAT kind of power! Maybe I should be YOUR disciple!"

Sulaiman smirked before turning back to Thesin. He then knelt down, and concentrated on the locket, now with Thesin's blood on it. A small magic circle appeared on the locket, and a magic circle appeared below Thesin, before chains shot out and ensnared her.

"Prince Sulaiman, whatever you're doing, please stop!" Ulfah begged, awfully scratched up from fighting the ghouls. "Don't… don't kill Thesin! Ya said you'd let me do it!"

"He's not going to kill Thesin!" Lamia called her. The explorer blinked, and turned to the cleric adjusting her glasses. "He's trying to save her before she's completely gone!"

"Huh!?" Ulfah questioned. Lamia waved her staff, and Ulfah's wounds were healed.

"Don't forget that Prince Sulaiman himself is one-quarter djinn," Lamia said. "That said, his mother, before her passing, taught him a few tricks of the trade, including how to rebind a genie that's object has been broken before they completely turn into a ghoul. He thinks Thesin has at least some of her soul left. But it's going to be risky, and will hurt him a LOT."

Meanwhile, Sulaiman closed his blue eyes, and was surrounded by his own magic circle while he began whispering… something. "Tahw saw dnuob yb doolb… I llac nopu uoy ot dnib niaga." He then began tracing his fingers on the locket, his arm enwrapped in several more circles. "Taerg snogard ohw delkcahs erofeb… esu ruoy taeh ot egorfer rouy niahc."

It was at this point that Thesin's skin began to shift colors while the final other ghouls were being struck down by Barack, Nail, Idris, and Duaa. Lamia pulled out her staff, and began concentrating its healing magic on Sulaiman. Ulfah was about to ask why, when she saw it. Sulaiman's nose was a geyser of blood, and steam was coming off of his extended right arm.

Ulfah asked, "Is he… is he gonna be alright!?"

"This is the first time he's ever done this," Lamia confessed. "I don't know…."

"Seineg ohw denodnaba siht dlihc… I ksa uoy ot mialcer reh lortnoc!" Sulaiman chanted, kneeling down in exhaustion despite Lamia's healing magic. Thesin's eyes seemed to shift back to normal, and her grip on her sword relaxed. However, her fangs stayed… at least, until Sulaiman's eyes shot open, and shined bright. "Nrub yawa siht krad noitpurroc nopu reh… **ICRER FLESREH EVAS A ECEIP FO SIHT DEKCALB LUOS!"**

It was at this moment light shot out from under Thesin's feet and engulfing her, where she let out a strong cry… but when the light faded, a normal genie girl laid, but with a pair of golden bracelets around her wrists. Sulaiman himself fell back, exhausted while dropping the locket and looking at his arm. He undid the gauntlet, and grimaced at the now charred skin.

"Lord Sulaiman!" Lamia gasped, kneeling down and waving her staff. The magical burn seemed to relax, but the skin was still darker than usual. Lamia checked her staff, and frowned. "I'm… out of healing magic in this. I've been using it a lot, today." She then dropped the staff, which then shattered on the floor.

"Sorry, Lamia," Sulaiman said. "I'll just have to buy you a new staff."

"To think, this was all for a damn sheep," Nail frowned.

"Well, I think we've all earned more than sheep," Idris shrugged. "Excellent work, m'lord."

"Thesin!" Ulfah cried, running over. She checked the girl, and saw she was still breathing. She turned to Sulaiman, and asked, "What did you… how did you do this!? She's back to normal! You saved her!"

"Her soul wasn't all the way gone, yet," Sulaiman sighed before wincing in pain. "It wasn't easy… she lost a lot of her soul, and with it, probably only has a few centuries left unless she can figure out how to unbind herself, but she'll live, for now. He pointed to the locket beside him. "I'm sorry about your locket, Miss Ulfah, but it was the only thing I could think of to bind her to on such short notice. You'll have to tell her to carry it, always, and never let anyone take it."

"I… I will," Ulfah said. "I'm gonna make sure she gets to a healer first thing when we get to town. Once I'm sure she's okay, we'll head out."

"We?" Sakaki asked.

"You saved Thesin from a fate worse than death, at great harm to yourself," Ulfah smirked. "Maybe the noble's paranoia about spares is camel dung. Maybe it's true. But since she's still alive, I can't complain. Besides, I gotta introduce you to Rawiya."

"And you've got to teach me that genie binding spell!" Rafi chimed in. "Seriously, that was one for the magical history books! I've got to know!"

"Um, no… I'm not teaching that," Sulaiman frowned. Rafi looked ready to protest, so Sulaiman explained, "I can barely use magic for non-combat purposes, Rafi. And the magic I CAN do… I can only successfully do in short bursts. My flow with my magic has been lackluster ever since I was nearly ten years old, and to force my magic like this physically HURTS me. I can't help but fear what it would do to an ordinary young human to teach you genie binding spells, which is a non-tome magic that drains the human caster AND the djinn. This WAS the manaketes' way of standing up to the genies, forcing that neutral stalemate that made them once divide Orobia in half. King Darius himself had to use what limited magic he has to fight and defeat Sizah with the help of my mother and Queen Minoo. It wasn't easy for him, either." Sulaiman then stood up, holding his arm. "Still, it's nice to have a potential apprentice of my brother along."

"Lord Sulaiman," Lamia said, "you shouldn't move as much."

"I have a break I promised everyone in Al Bajilif, and breakfast to cook," Sulaiman said, looking at Ebony flying back, the bird practically smirking with the large fish in its talons. He turned

"How about I cook?" Sakaki suggested. "Your arm's going to be injured for a few days, m'lord."

"Oh gods, please be the edible time," Idris prayed. Looking at the survivors of the battle, he said, "We may need a lot more sheep."

"I'll get us some food," Ulfah smiled, handing Thesin bridal style to one of her mercenaries. The mercenaries and soldiers nodded, and spread out to join the hunt. Brandishing her bow, she said, "I'll be back, soon!"

"I'll help her carry it back," Duaa smirked. "She'll need a tough hand hauling the food." The knight sauntered off after the explorer.

"I better go help," Rafi agreed, walking off to join them.

"I'll get a fire started and some spices," Nail grinned. "Hey, Idris, Barack, wanna come with?"

"Anything to survive Sakaki's cooking," the rogue said. "Alright, let's go."

With everyone but Sulaiman and Lamia occupied, the two turned to each other. "...I'm sorry, m'lord, for failing you," Lamia bowed.

"You didn't fail me," Sulaiman said. "I've accepted being hurt a lot is my place in life. At least, in Poswa. But once we get to Cruibia, maybe it will happen less often. But the first thing we need to do is get you a new staff."

"That wasn't my failure," Lamia said. "Although it WAS a failure. My failure was underestimating our enemies."

"Huh?" Sulaiman questioned. Lamia took Sulaiman's astral plate, and channeled her own magic. She then showed Sulaiman their exact route.

"Prince Sulaiman, the only people who knew our route were in that room and maybe a couple people inside the palace," the cleric explained herself. "Coincidentally, a ghoul attack happens to have broken out on our route… with the original ghoul, Thesin, who just so happened to be a genie who was smuggled into Poswa under the royal family's nose, having escaped her captor to right here. The captor then smashed her artifact, not because they didn't want the genie escaping, but they were most likely hoping to either kill you, slow you down, or do enough damage to Al Bajilif to make it hard for us to resupply."

"And you still think Sakaki was the mole?" Sulaiman questioned. "You know he hates unexpected variables, and ghouls are unpredictable. And Nail and Idris weren't in the room, so they didn't have time to betray us to my enemies. As for Sir Barack before you even suggest him, he's been personally training me since I was a kid. He gave up being in the guard to train me. I'm pretty sure he's not our mole. Father and Aladdin, meanwhile, both want this wedding almost as much as I do."

"So the traitor isn't likely here," Lamia frowned. "But it doesn't change the fact that it's… possible."

"Yes," Sulaiman reluctantly agreed.

"Should we let the Sultan know?" the cleric questioned. Sulaiman shook his head.

"If we're right about this," Sulaiman said, "then there's a mole in the palace who wants to sabotage the wedding, and we'd tip them off that we know they're trying to stop us, and go to ground. But if we're wrong and this was just a series of bad coincidences… then we'd look like paranoid idiots, and raise a fuss for no reason, thus destroying any good will I have. Either way, it's a bit too dangerous to take this back to Father."

"Well, what do we do?" Lamia asked. "Our route may be compromised and there's little doubt in my mind that the wedding that will lead to Poswa and Cruibia working together will be in jeopardy. As long as you're the second-born prince, the nobility and maybe even the common folks will be hard-pressed to accept you."

Sulaiman inhaled, and exhaled. "...Then we show Poswa a sign of good faith," Sulaiman answered. "Show them and by extension all of Orobia that they can trust that I good intentions. But there is one person who should know this." Lamia tilted her head. He then pulled out his astral plate, and tried channeling magic, only to wince. "Um… Lamia, could you…?"

"I got you," the cleric smiled. She then channeled her magic into the astral plate, resulting in Yasmin appearing, although her hair was wet.

 _"Prince Sulaiman?"_ the crown princess of Cruibia asked. _"Lamia? Oh my gods, what happened?"_

"A little crisis in Poswa," Sulaiman said. "Let your father and sister know I thank them for teaching me about fighting ghouls AND quickly binding genies."

 _"What?"_ Yasmin asked.

"It's a long story Princess Yasmin, although it is a pleasure to see you again," Lamia confessed with a curtsy. "But the main thing is that will… most likely we will be late for attending the wedding. You have our apologies, but I think Prince Sulaiman wants to make sure Poswa is better off prepared for repelling the Argelians AND generating enough PR to avoid any angry Poswali from attacking your wedding."

 _"Aw, really?"_ Yasmin frowned. _"Sulaiman, Lamia… I thought Poswa was finally past all of this."_

"Blame Duke Zahar," Lamia scowled. "Forgive my implications, but this has drummed up some old hostilities between Poswa and Cruibia, especially with the Poswali community and survivors of Aseel's War. Ever since the three of us were children, people like Duke Zahar have been expressing high doubts in Prince Sulaiman's genuine good behavior. He most likely thinks Prince Sulaiman is planning to use Cruibia to usurp Sultan Mecca and Prince Aladdin once Argelia is defeated… or more extreme, YOU plan on using Prince Sulaiman to take over Poswa."

"That's ridiculous!" Sulaiman scoffed. "I've barely survived Poswali politics as it is! And my brother… every single time we've ever sparred, I've lost. The only thing I'm better at than him is archery. And why would I convince Cruibia to violate this peace agreement when we all know that Mother was best friends with Queen Minoo?"

"Duke Zahar may be a dirty old man," Lamia said. "But he's a traditionalist. I think ever since you two's engagement was announced, Duke Zahar and others like him have been planning on trying to stop this out of some paranoia that Cruibia will forget its peace agreement and take advantage of drained Poswali resources and troops to launch an invasion and take over Poswa."

 _"Unprovoked violence and invasion like this isn't the Cruibian way,"_ Yasmin assured them. She coyly smirked, and said, " _You know, Lamia, I bet this wouldn't be as bad if YOU were the one marrying Prince Sulaiman~"_ Lamia flushed her face, and turned away while Sulaiman raised an eyebrow at his fiancé.

"Anyway," Sulaiman said to change the topic, "Yasmin, I believe the point here is that until we're all sure that there's going to be no surprises from Poswa or Argelia… I don't know if it's safe for us to get married, right now. I have to stay back here, and make sure the political situation Duke Zahar and potentially those who swing House Botros' way aren't going to ruin this. I'm sorry I'm going to be slow, but I want to make sure you're okay, my angelic Cruibian pink dove."

 _"You really are my shield, my sturdy Poswali snapping turtle,"_ Yasmin giggled.

 _"Oh just get a room when you see each other in person, you lovebirds!"_ a female voice on Yasmin's end moaned in fake agony.

 _"Oh relax and take your bath, Janiya,"_ Yasmin called off-image.

"Hello to you, Princess Janiya," Sulaiman chuckled.

 _"Seriously, sis, I'm trying to bathe! Talk to your boyfriend another time or somewhere else!"_ a long, wet, orange-haired girl about 18 glared as she walked in, wearing only a blue towel. She picked up the astral plate on her side of the call, and said, _"Goodbye, Prince Sulaiman, see you when you finally get to Cruibia, and don't call my sister during my morning baths!"_ With that, the image shut off, leaving Sulaiman and Lamia blinking in confusion.

"I don't she likes you very much," Lamia said after a long pause.

"I don't think ANYONE outside of my family except for Yasmin likes me very much, even if I signed your paychecks," Sulaiman said. "But Yasmin DID mention that Janiya HATES her morning baths interrupted. But at least the Cruibian royal family knows why I'll be delayed... although our adventure will be boring in comparison to their most recent one." He waved, "Now come on, let's go see if I can save Idris from Sakaki's fifty-fifty chance of burning mutton stew." The prince then walked away towards camp.

"...That's not true, m'lord," Lamia sighed before following him.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Now I know what you're thinking: "Did Sulaiman just cast a badass spell that saved Thesin's life from being a ghoul!?" Yes, yes he did. This is the ridiculously complicated way of recruiting his campaign's Est, Thesin. Although she won't join until Act 2 of the main campaign if you succeed and her stats will be low, she'll be a powerful mage and swordswoman if you invest in her. But for actual recruitment, you have to do the following: 1, have her actually engage Sulaiman, but use his bow from melee range distance (remember, Orobian archers act like Valentian archers and can from melee range, even though they specialize in ranged combat). 2, have Sulaiman actually DAMAGE her without killing her. Although Ulfah WILL call Sulaiman out for attacking Thesin when the easier way to guarantee Ulfah joins you would be have HER kill Thesin (and if anyone else does it, Ulfah will leave, and will almost certainly return later as a Nemesis to fight), it's necessary for step 3, have Sulaiman spend four turns talking to Thesin to end the battle. Thesin will NOT be able to attack, but neither will Sulaiman, so you have to play defensive with the remaining units and protect a for-once defense Sulaiman. Then boom, Thesin is mostly saved, but she'll be in a coma for a while. Now, the final step is 4, make sure Ulfah and upcoming party member Rawiya are still alive when you talk to her again. Thesin will eventually come with them.

Now, second thing, "Doesn't this break your lore for ghouls?" Well, not really. See, remember when Emerald said in Janiya's chapter that genies with bound objects breaking, can, in a certain amount of time, get themselves bound to something else to avoid becoming a true ghoul? This is how to avoid that happening. Yes, it kind of requires a mirror to understand, but the instructions are unclear.

Finally, you're probably going to ask, "Wait a damn minute, didn't people around Sulaiman and Sulaiman himself say he can't really do magic?" And yes. Combat magic, at least. While in the _Fire Emblem_ series, magic is mainly either healing, buffing, debuffing, or for combat, and it's not much different here in Orobia, as you can see, genies use magic for more than just blasting their foes. Also, don't pretend that other non-magic class characters haven't done some type of magical ritual, and three months, Sulaiman can learn a few non-combat magic tricks. Hell, at the beginning of this chapter, Lamia mentions straight up during the preparations that Sulaiman HAS a way to bind a genie because he's been talking to the Cruibian royal family off-screen, should he need it. And considering how it knocks out the enemy genie, it's a way worth learning. Although it hurts him just as much and he won't be able to range-fight for a couple chapters.

Having said all of that, let's focus on his new allies. Kagerou Sakaki (yeah, it turns out that Ryoma's female retainer from _Fates_ just so happens to have a unisex name... similar to Hinata), or just Sakaki, is a Crow, a class that works similar to the Raven laguz tribe from the Tellius games _Path of Radiance_ and _Radiant Dawn._ In short, skilled and fast, but glass cannons that also serve as a member of the "thief group" (in short, can pick locks), and is the most mobile type. Crows can promote to Scarecrows and be a bit sturdier and pick up axes or become Nevermores and hit harder with daggers. Sakaki himself is an OC from Petem5004 (pending name until I get his/her username). Fun fact, when I was getting ready to write this chapter, I was going to make a Crow character. But then bam, this got slapped on my desk, and now I have a crow who happen to have been Sulaiman's shadow (as in, he silently watched from a distance, and now is coming forward to serve as his tactician). Lamia's still going to be Sulaiman's main confidant, but Sakaki will eventually be trusted.

Speaking of sturdy, we have Duaa, a knight. You all know knights, physically tanky and can probably hit like a truck with their lances, but crack under magic and have easily exploitable weaknesses to armor piercing weapons (you know, Armorslayers, Hammers, Heavy Spears, Rapiers if you're playing as either Janiya, Sulaiman,promoted Howe or Tawni, or a later on pair of characters... you'll see why for those). But Duaa can promote to General and gain axes and be even sturdier, or just become a great knight like Barack. It's up to you.

Rafi... geez, this kid had like three or four versions of introducing him, but he's a mage, plain and simple. I've gone over mages multiple times, but he's the first with a second-level spell that's not a prepromoted unit or acquired it in combat.

Finally, Ulfah, the star of the chapter (and the one I intended to introduce a female unit for since I realized Sulaiman's current group had only Lamia as a girl) is an explorer. Explorers are kind of like outlaws from _Fates,_ being the range-exclusive thief character, with the add-on to the new red weapon, the whip. But rather than be an enemy flat-out, Ulfah is an ally. Explorers are one of the thieves as well, able to pick locks and open chests/doors without keys. Ulfah is not a unit you should put near magic-using foes, but is good against rogues while Rafi is the one who tanks magic better. Ulfah can promote to either Adventurer, which CAN tank magic and heal with staves, or Bounty Hunter and gain knives and the capture ability. So yeah, you don't want to skip out on Ulfah, who can resupply your army.

And yes, she can romantically support with either males or females

Now, yes, the chapter is a defeat the boss chapter, but again, you have two ways of going about it without losing Ulfah. Use Sulaiman to convert her from being a ghoul (at the cost of using his bow for two chapters) or let Ulfah kill her. Either way, Thesin's no longer a problem. But the real concern on Sulaiman and Lamia's minds is the reveal (to them, at least, but not you, the audience) of the possibility of a traitor. The thing is, while we all know it's Cantara, someone not in their group, they can't completely rule out their own allies, especially when two (three if you count Idris) have shady pasts. Sulaiman is aware of his lackluster popularity with the people, and realizes that if he just hurried onto his wedding, he'd just leave the situation of Poswa not trusting spares unchanged. So he's decided to delay his wedding to fix the political situation in Poswa (with some fights against Argelians, rogue manaketes, brigands, and Duke Zahar's traditionalists). I know, it's not the most exciting concept for a campaign, but compared to the other three (Howe fighting for the clear antagonists and learning about the Empire while trying to figure out what really happened the night of what he considers his greatest failure, Janiya learning to control her temper and get used to the idea of helping rule while protecting her homeland from an ancient evil that threatened it in the past, and Tawni traveling around and learning about Orobia and its underworld while uncovering a secret about who she really is and what secrets her father hides from her), but Sulaiman being the political reformist in love with a woman from another country while going up against a traditionalist was the only thing I could think of for him in terms of traditional _Fire Emblem_ themes... and who knows? It might work better than it did in _Conquest._

I better answer some reviews.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, I realize Mawdood right now is underwhelming. Eventually, I'll build upon him. But yeah, Tawni is the apprentice and daughter of a trickster, so she would know a few improvised distractions. I originally had them just bail, but I wanted to have a little fun, first. Also, start the potential shipping war between TawniXHimli, TawniXJamal, TawniXKareem, NodeXHimli, NodeXDobi, NodeXKareem, NasiraXKareem, and NasiraXJamal. I don't know, I have way too many potential ships, and I did say romances will happen.

But yes, Himli CAN end up with Tawni. I mean, if in _Awakening,_ Donny can marry Lissa (the Ylissean princess), Maribelle (a noblewoman), Olivia (the west khan of Regna Ferox's foster daughter), Tharja (implied to be a noble Plegian dark mage), Cordelia (as esteemed pegasus knight), Cherche (the personal retainer of the Duke of Roseanne), or Robin (the tactician of the Ylissean army AND the perfect vessel of Grima), and in _Fates,_ Mozu can marry the princes of Hoshido (Ryoma and Takumi) or Nohr (Xander or Leo) as well as either Silas or Jakob (both the sons of Nohrian noble houses) or Kaze (an esteemed Hoshidan ninja) and Corrin (the prince of Hoshido, Nohr, AND Valla), then Himli deserves a fair shot with Tawni. I mean, yes, she's the daughter of the infamous trickster Guaril, but she's a common girl.

...And like that, I'm pretty sure I just heard people start demanding supports. But yeah, Himli's loyalty mission will involve rescuing his oldest sister from Argelia.

Well, anyway, yeah, Dobi and Node are an interesting pair. Node is the mouthy, foolish one, while Dobi is the responsible, semi-quiet one. And I'm sorry about the naming theme, it's just that in this region, a LOT of names end in either i, a, n, or r. It's kind of hard to find decent names that fit the setting.

But thanks for cheering for Sulaiman. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

 **davidthemightypaladin:** Thanks! I'll keep working on improving it.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** Whoo! Although I may have spotted an error or two, I'll have to try later.

Yeah, I admit, Mawdood doesn't exactly seem like big bad material. At least, not right now. Even his inspiration, the original Leader of the Forty Thieves, was not exactly an impressive villain either, now that I think about it. All he did was kill Ali Baba's greedy brother, kill two of his own men for failing to successfully identify Ali Baba's house, and get himself and all 37 of his remaining men killed by Moriganna, the REAL protagonist of that story. Honestly, _Aladdin and the King of Thieves_ had perhaps a better villain in comparison to the canon version. I'll have to try to make you HATE this guy worse than Gangrel, but with any luck, you will.

Well, if you want me to feel free to share about the Neo Crusaders, I will the next time they pop up. And I'd be really touched for your help. Fair warning, while there will be general information, it will ALSO be told slightly comedically rather than the standard codex style stories that seem to pop up every now and again.

 **Ike:** Glad you like Tawni! As for an actual Merchant's Guild... you know, yes, there is one, but I didn't think they'd actually be a real choice for reviewers, so I scrapped it when I was making the factions as an actual choice. So far, there's only been one merchant entered in the entire character sheet entries, but if people want to make a full Merchant's Guild, I can and WILL add the Merchant's Guild as a faction. We'll run into merchants who are either benefiting or suffering because of the war and the brigands.

As for the military backgrounds, well, yes, Tawni is technically the only protagonist in this story who ISN'T directly involved in the military or has actual combat training outside of what her father's taught her. Howe himself is technically a civilian doing volunteer work for the Argelian navy, but he may as well be a soldier. The war effects the Romani as well, but we haven't really seen that, much. I'll have to expand upon it.

 **Stitcher:** Well, thank you very much for following! And I'm glad you're interested in the Codex series that I'll start next week. I feel that since I'm effectively building Orobia from the ground up, I should explain things. Or rather, I should have characters explain things. If you've ever watched Rooster Teeth's _RWBY,_ think of it like _World of Remnant_ in semi-humorous story form.

As for Tawni, yeah, she gets one of the more interesting abilities of this version of the Fire Emblem: astral projection and the ability to talk to the dead. But she's also very freaked out about it, because nobody's explained to her that she somehow has a Fire Emblem piece.

And you and I are going to need to have a talk.

Alright, that's everything. I'll go ahead and put the next poll up here, soon. Farewell, subjects!


	14. Janiya Chapter 4: Of Djinn and Manaketes

A/N: Hey, guys, long time no update. I just would like to let everyone know that _Night of Lore_ has now released. The first three chapters covers the general history of the continent of Orobia. If you have any requests, please let me know.

With that said, I do believe Janiya has an adventure to get back to. But we're going to start with figuring out what Sizah is up to. And... action!

* * *

 _Summary: Janiya, after her recent battle, recovers to discover the death of her retainer Elahe's mentor and the hijacking of one of Cruibia's local genie communities by Sizah. She and Yasmin are assigned to protect any manaketes who had entered Cruibia, and find themselves facing a group of young genies, assisted by the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, pursuing manaketes._

* * *

 **Janiya's Tale, Chapter 4: "Of Djinn and Manaketes"**

* * *

 **Djinn Village of Dhali—The Morning After the Battle of Fort Asazd**

The djinn village was quite the sight. Several pointy-eared, unattached humanoids walked around the village with a magical barrier surrounding it. To an outside human, the djinn looked no older than their twenties or thirties save for one or two. But in actuality, djinn can live as long as their draconic counterparts, the manaketes. They just wore a lot more jewelry, showed off a lot more skin, and were a lot more directly mischievous, save for the older ones.

A female djinn walked into the village, playing a twelve-hole teal ceramic ocarina. The djinn had a slender figure under her white chunnari with dark blue intricate designs around her shoulders, a small, short-sleeved black choli showing off her stomach, and black harem pants that cut off at her ankles and bare feet, showing off her tattoos on her feet. On her otherwise bare forearms were a pair of long golden bangle bracelets going to her elbows to her wrists, barely hiding the henna tattoos on her arms and hands matching those on her feet. Around her neck she wore a golden bangle necklace with a sapphire in the center. She was beautiful, and smirked at seeing her fellow djinn. She gripped her ocarina, and gently stroked it as a pair of leathery wings briefly popped out before disappearing.

"Tir ti xihood, Rerci," the djinn cooed in ancient draconic. She then said in basic Orobian, "You'll be okay." She then walked into the village, ignored by most, but looked at a hut overseeing the village.

And sitting in this hut was an old-looking djinn. A man with thick, graying cloud attached to his chin, and bald head, wearing only a pair of white thick pants and a turban on his head, showing off his muscular but heavily scarred figure, the man looked in his late 50s. But he was actually one of the oldest and most powerful djinn left in Orobia, a survivor of the Dragon-Djinn War. The elder of the village, who was meditating away. Or was he napping?

To Elahe, who came back to the village on behalf of her lady Janiya, it looked like Elder Muazi was sleeping. "Elder?" Elahe said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Wake up! I brought snacks… and Caspar!"

"What did you bring me along for?" Caspar asked the jann, sitting nearby. Elahe had grabbed him when Janiya had asked.

"I wanted to give Lady Janiya some alone time to recover from her defeat," Elahe said, twiddling her fingers. "And also, see if the elder would accept you." Caspar blinked, not sure how to respond to that.

"Elahe, calm yourself," the elder said in a gruff voice. "You're still very, very young, for a djinn! No need to rush into marriage or motherhood, young lady."

"Oh, Elder Muazi!" Elahe beamed. "Thank the gods you're awake!"

"Don't thank them, yet, you're ruining my morning meditation," Muazi said. "So, besides your healing friend and fellow retainer at your job in Bagedzi, what's brought you back to us?"

"I need to warn you," Elahe frowned. "Apparently, your old foe that you told the other kids about, whose name was 'Sizah', had gotten loose. Now, she's back, and wants revenge on Cruibia. King Darius himself has just issued a quarantine, but we don't know where she is, yet!"

"Oh, that's easy," Muazi said. "But you could have started with Sizah."

"Wait, you know where she'll strike first?" Caspar asked.

"Yes. Here."

"...What?" both the servant and the jann questioned.

"Yes, Sizah is a creature of habit," Muazi said. "If she's made any breakthrough with her 'destroy all dragonkind' plans, the very first person she'll want to convince this is a good idea is standing right in front of you. She and I met under similar circumstances. We both lost our families to manaketes."

"...So, let me see if I have this perfectly clear," Caspar nodded. "You're not her enemy, but her… friend?"

"I was more than that to her for a while," Muazi said. Both of them blinked once more. "But those times have past. Still, if she was here, she'd make an entrance."

" _ **ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!"**_

The three looked up, Muazi opening his right silver glowing eye, to see a massive green earth dragon flying into the town with several scars adorning her body with a small, white-haired genie woman wearing black and purple clothes and carrying a wyrmslayer on its neck. The woman pointed down towards the town square, and the dragon obeyed, and the genie woman stood up… and slid down her ride's body, sliding the sharp side of the wyrmslayer down the dragon's back, making the dragon moan in agony. But rather than lash out, she just lowered her head and whimpered like a kicked puppy. She then turned into a scared out of her mind manakete girl, holding her now bleeding side, kneeling at the genie woman's feet. Even the woman playing her ocarina stopped and looked at her.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Mistress," the manakete girl said. "I was out of stamina last night… forgive my weakness. I'm a snake. A worthless little snake… I shouldn't be breathing…."

"Shut-up!" the genie woman scowled, kicking the poor girl across the face. "You've ruined my entrance." The girl cowered, and cried, while many flinched at the sight, but some were curious.

"Like that," Muazi sighed. "I knew this day would come." He then turned to the two, and said, "I will distract her, Elahe. Get your fellow retainer out of here, and report back to the Cruibian royal family. Let them know… that I died bravely."

"Elder?" Elahe questioned.

"I barely survived the last time I rejected one of Sizah's proposals to join her war of genocide," Muazi said. "I know from experience that I won't survive again. But I can at least figure out her new weakness. Now, go before she finds you." He then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"My fellow djinn, lend me your ears," Sizah said while she looked at the scared and/or awed men, women, and children. "You have grown far too complacent these past millennia! I remember an age where genies lorded over these weak beings knowns as humans, who turned to us and sought guidance and power, which we were all too happy to grant. We were gods to them! They bowed to us, worshipped us, praised us... and then some turned to these wretched manaketes and did the exact same thing!" She pointed to Megtra, who flinched at the sudden attention. "These devils parading in human's clothing! They thought power, the strong dominating the weak, was the best way to live! And they guided the western world like that!

"For generations, because we were afraid of doing the right thing and wiping out this bipedal scaleskins because we thought we'd lose due to their teaching of how to bind our souls to random inanimate objects, we tolerated an unwritten accord between races: we genies saved the east, and the manaketes poisoned the west. Orobia was a clean divide between the two tribes, but there was only so long we could tolerate. At least, there's proof of a couple bad apples: the Smith Dragon, Gargec, and his brother, Stratreo, the 'Dragon of War'!

"The former corrupted the mind of a genie girl, Awdue, and impregnated her with the hellspawn the humans of Cruibia and many others on this forsaken continent dare to revere as 'Rerci'." She missed the ocarina-carrying djinn's frown, but otherwise kept silent. "The latter is merely Exhibit A of dragonkind's blight on the world, vowing to destroy or subjugate all non-manakete life! Once the corruption of Rerci was first brought to light, we waged a bloody war against the scaled scum… and we lost. Granted, they lost, too, but my point stands, we let the pecking order in Orobia and especially Argelia flip upside-down, with humans on top and genies near the bottom. Your contentment to coexist with the manaketes and humans who still bend their knees in prayer to the scaled wretches is your greatest sin!

"There are only small holdouts like this of unbound genies left in Orobia. Far less in Argelia. I'll get to them, but there are still many, many manaketes! The monsters who started the war for Orobia in the first place! Yes, Stratreo paid with his life and Gargec is no longer the beast he used to be… but it's not enough. No… we need the whole dragon race destroyed or dominated! That is the only way humans will be reminded of our power!"

Gesturing to the scared Megtra, she said, "Behold a manakete! Our enemy! This girl, about a month ago, had free will to go about her business, stealing from the dead to horde treasure! But here she is, now! I've invented a spell that would allow me to dominate her mind, make her do my bidding! No matter how much punishment she takes, she'll never leave on her own accord! Isn't that right, slave?"

"...Y-Yes, Mistress," Megtra said. "I am your loyal servant for life… it is my atonement for my race's crimes… including my own and my aunt's."

"Yes," Sizah smirked. "Your aunt will suffer, the next time I see her. Her and the rest of the manaketes. But for now, Cruibia." Turning back to her fellow djinn, she said, "This is just one bound manakete! Proof of OUR right to rule Orobia, not the dragons and not humans who worship them! Eventually, we'll show the entire world that worshipping that with draconic blood is a colossal sin! A sin you all have let go unpunished for far too long by coexisting with these humans who worship the half-blooded scaleskin who dared call herself a goddess! These Cruibians need to be taught that their religion is affront to the true gods of this world! Us, the djinn!"

"I've seen you do horrible things, Sizah," Muazi finally spoke. He then appeared in a large puff of smoke, holding a silver lance and floating on a magic carpet, causing the village to gasp. "But this? Torturing a young life just because she has manakete blood!? Brainwashing the girl, regularly tormenting her, making her your slave, and thus making you no better than anyone who abuses bound genies? That takes the cake! What did you do to this poor girl?"

"Poor girl?" Sizah asked, looking at the djinn. "Don't tell me you're STILL reluctant to support these murdering snakes in humanoid clothing! Did you forget the Dragon-Djinn War, where our families were horribly butchered by that monster Stratreo!? How countless djinn died at the hands of these fire-breathing lizards!? How we tolerated for centuries them stealing half of Orobia to rule themselves, corrupting the western half, from us, calling themselves the new gods!? How they're the reason why humanity, especially the Rerci-worshipping Cruibians you let lord over these thousands of square kilometers, have replaced us as the dominant power in the world!? And you have the actual nerve to call me a madwoman for pursuing justice!?"

"It's been nearly five-thousand years since the Dragon-Djinn War," Muazai said, "and yet, you still the mad, spoiled brat that I met 4,000 years ago, and then divorced near 1,500 years ago! Precisely because you refuse to just move on with your life and realize the manaketes lost just as much as we did, perhaps even more! How long are you going to hold this grudge, Sizah!? How many more children are you going to sacrifice pursuing eons of pointless revenge!? Were our own children not enough of a sacrifice for you to realize that it's best to stop this bloody crusade!?"

"Don't you DARE blame their deaths on me!" Sizah glowered. "Had you not tried to limit their potential in the dragon-slaying arts, our sons would been strong enough to help destroy the manaketes once and for all, and our daughter… she wouldn't have ran off to Argelia and faced the enemy head on! Our children were meant to be warriors! But you… you made them WEAK! Easy targets for the enemy!"

Muazi shook his head. "I admit that our children weren't trained like you wanted was my fault, that part of our sons' deaths was on me. But you are just as guilty, if not more, since it was YOUR refusal to back down from a fight that YOU knew they couldn't possibly hope to win led YOU to throwing our children onto enemy swords! When will you learn, Sizah, that blood does not ALWAYS need to be answered with more blood!? That there can be peace if you just let it!?" Sizah shook her head, and the ocarina player scowled at Muazi's words.

Even though Sizah was clearly insane, she couldn't believe this man's cowardice and ideals of "peace". Not after all she had gone through. It was that moment the ocarina-player had already decided who to support, and pulled out a green, fang-shaped stone with a pair of leathery wings on it.

"Typical Muazi," she said. "I don't know why I continue wasting my breath with you. You're clearly no longer the warrior whose children I bared to raise in our fight against the dragons. All you are is a damn coward who is content to let this 'new world' go to Hell and abandon the old ways that made us strong! Even bringing you proof that the manakete scourge can be brought to heel, and you still refuse to man up and join me in my quest to bring the manaketes to justice!"

"You call it 'justice', but all I see is 'genocide'," Muazi said. "And it's clear, now, you don't care how many innocents are lost because of your crusade! You refuse to give peace a chance and understand that slaughtering every last manakete and follower of Rerci won't bring back your parents, your siblings, and certainly not our children! I should have ended your madness millenia ago before you became more powerful than me!"

"...Someone's madness will end, today," Sizah said, summoning her swords. "But it will NOT be mine."

As the two charged each other, Elahe narrated, " _And that's the moment I fled with Caspar, Your Majesty. I had left, not knowing what happened to Elder Muazi and the village. But I fear the worst."_

* * *

 **Bagedzi Palace, Royal's Hall—One Week Later**

Darius grimaced at the story. "Muazi was a good friend, Elahe. He was the one who recommended that we improve ties with between the royal family of Cruibia and the djinn by having you as my daughter's retainer. To think, he was Sizah's lover… as well as the fact that he's quite possibly dead. By Rerci, this is a serious blow, losing our biggest ally in the genie people."

"I know," Elahe said, barely avoiding tears. "...By the way, Your Majesty, how IS Lady Janiya? She was hurt really bad at the end of the battle against that Argelian Crusader."

"She's hardier than she was when she was a little girl," Darius answered. "It's hard to believe she's the same little princess who was a crier when she was young. But right now, she's trying to push herself."

" _Are you sure about this, Princess Janiya?"_ a male voice asked. " _I know it's not real on your end, but there's still a bit of magical feedback. Yasmin told me you were injured, so… this could very well still hurt you."_

"I can take it," Janiya replied. "Come on… let's do this!"

"Careful, sister," Yasmin said. "It's your first time doing something like this. Oh, please be gentle with her."

" _You have my word, Princess,"_ the male voice said.

"Oh don't treat me like a doll, you two!" Janiya said. "This is over the astral plate! It's not like it'll really hurt."

" _Last chance to reconsider,"_ the male voice warned her.

"I'm ready, trust me."

" _Okay. But I gave you an out."_

"...Um… what's going on?" Darius asked.

 _ **THUD!**_

"Ah!" Janiya yelped. "Ow, that hurts!"

" _I warned you,"_ the male voice said.

Darius kicked open the door, Pillansufa drawn, and saw a holographic Sulaiman, holding a practice sword on his end, looking at Janiya holding her shocked arm, while Yasmin healed her and Saiduq shook his head. Meanwhile, Yasmin's pegasus knight retainers were there, including a third girl about 19 years old with waist-length turquoise hair in a ponytail, lightly tanned skin, a small button nose, and brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. The girl had long, shapely legs, and an hourglass figure beneath her pegasus knight uniform, as well as a pair of fingerless gloves and a scarf. But what stood out were her small brown falcon wings folded on her back, signalling her status as a hybrid.

" _Oh, King Darius,"_ Sulaiman said, bowing. " _Your older daughter informed me of your… ifrit problem, Your Majesty, and asked for my insight on ifrit behavior, and your younger daughter insisted that while I was here, she try to spar with me. She didn't know the astral plate can make sword blows actually hurt."_

"Oh, Prince Sulaiman," Darius said. He chuckled. "For a moment there, I thought it was something else."

" _Oh… context,"_ Sulaiman realized.

"What?" Yasmin asked.

"One point for Prince Sulaiman!" the new pegasus knight said. "You were right, Lady Yasmin, your betrothed a skilled fighter!" Turning to the other knights, she asked, "Are you sure, Emerald, you don't want in on this bet?"

"Well, if I took it, Ria," Emerald said, "I would have been out several gold coins, so… yeah, no."

"I'm still miffed I lost," Rosetta said. Slapping several gold coins down, the pinkette demanded, "Double or nothing!"

"I'll take that bet," Ria grinned.

"Father, what is with Yasmin and pegasus knights?" Janiya questioned.

"Ria I gave her because of her great luck," Darius admitted. "I assigned Emerald with her because Emerald was at the top of her class. As for Rosetta, well… Emerald insisted she watched her little sister for shenanigans like this."

"Makes sense, really," Ria admitted. "And I'm sorry, your highness, that I wasn't there these past two adventures of the princesses! But the inn needed an extra pair of hands, and nobody was expecting Thieves Guild and Argelian attacks! But Lady Luck and I are ready to help, now!"

"You better," Darius nodded.

"Okay, so I wasn't as ready that time," Janiya pouted. "The next welt will be on you!" She grabbed her sword, and said, "Let's try again!"

" _You know, we can hold off on this until I arrive in person, Janiya,"_ Sulaiman said. " _You and I will be on the front lines together."_

"Actually," Yasmin said, "you're going to have to keep Ebony for a little bit. Father's ordered a quarantine of the country until Sizah is defeated."

" _Really, King Darius?"_ Sulaiman frowned. " _Going to leave me to the mercy of Poswali politics and listening to Lady Akhter and others gossip because of Mother and Queen Minoo's old enemy?"_

"That and the Fire Emblem fragment around my neck, Janiya's magic book, and our Cruibian blood," Yasmin said. "Father doesn't want to start any bad blood between Poswa and Cruibia again because you were hurt on our watch. I'm sorry, my turtle, but you'll have to endure a little longer."

" _I still can't believe you have one of the fragments of the legendary Fire Emblem,"_ Sulaiman said.

"Hey! Sparring, here!" Janiya said. She then lunged forward, only for Sulaiman's hologram to block her sword blow.

" _So that means Mother had one, as well,"_ Sulaiman said, parrying Janiya's sword swings. " _That may explain why her magic was so powerful and why she was able to easily handle my… episodes of magical excess so easily. Do you think that's why the Widowing Massacre happened? So they could steal the fragments?"_

"Really, you two?" Janiya complained. "You're trading theories right now? We're in the middle of training, here!" She launched a series of strikes, but Sulaiman either dodged or blocked the strikes. "How are you so good at multitasking!?"

" _I'm sorry, my closest retainer happens to be a very devoted servant of Rerci, so Fire Emblem theories happen to be a hobby of hers that I have to indulge,"_ Sulaiman said, pressing back on Janiya with his own blows. " _And I've had to learn to divide my focus multiple times. Isn't that right, Lamia?"_

" _Yes, m'lord,"_ a female voice chimed in. " _You might want to press her right side, she seems to be favoring her left due to the injury."_

" _Thank, Lamia,"_ Sulaiman said, before breaking the clash off and swinging his sword hard at Janiya from his left, but her right. Janiya gritted her teeth as her sword was knocked from her hand, and gasped when she was shocked in the stomach when Sulaiman "stabbed" her. " _Good advice."_

"That's not fair, Poswali!" Janiya said. "You had outside help!"

"Hi, Lamia!" Yasmin beamed. "You know, you and I need to talk."

" _War isn't about fair, Princess Janiya,"_ Sulaiman sighed. " _It's about making use of everything you have."_

"Surprisingly well-said, Poswali," Saiduq finally spoke. "But a little bit less focusing on your bride, and more on the fight in front of you. I saw five moves where the princess could have won, but didn't because she has yet to spot your openings."

" _Also g_ _ood advice,"_ Sulaiman nodded. " _You and Sir Barack would get along, Commander. Next round, I'll focus entirely."_

"I think it's kind of romantic, Commander," Ria gushed, flexing her tiny roc wings. "Also, two points for Prince Sulaiman."

"You pegasus knights," Janiya sighed. "Sis, what's with you and pegasus knights?"

"I like flying in the air, alongside Lady Lilah," Yasmin said. "But at the same time, taming pegasi was a lot of work. Sulaiman did most of the work with Ebony."

" _You know,"_ Sulaiman advised, " _you shouldn't just be focusing on training, Princess Janiya. There's more to war than just armies and tactics. You shouldn't forget the politics."_

"Politics?" Janiya questioned. She and Saiduq both moaned in annoyance. Although both shared a brief glance, Janiya turned to Sulaiman, and asked, "What the heck do politics have to do with fighting a crazy genie woman bent on committing genocide against Cruibia?"

" _Take it from someone who has survived one of the most dangerous courts in Orobia for nearly two decades if you're a second-born noble,"_ Sulaiman said. " _Not every single problem can be solved with a sword swing or a magic spell in the direction of your enemies and a swoosh of a healing staff towards your friends. You need to try to think of the state of your kingdom. Because if I was Sizah, my first move would be to try to convince the local djinn population to rebel against the Cruibian humans, maybe even move onto the beast tribes when I have enough and even let in those Cruibians who have lost faith in Rerci. Although they're all minorities, together they're a very POWERFUL minority, more than enough to possibly overthrow you. If she succeeds in convincing at least a majority of the genie population to follow her line of thought, I guarantee you, a lot of innocent people will die, and not just at genie hands. The human population will be turned against the genies, and the tension between the two races will guarantee violence. But she'll need to do something very drastic to force it."_ Everyone in the room blinked in confusion, except for Elahe.

"...So, it's just as I thought it would be," Elahe frowned, tears in her eyes. "That's why she came to the genie village… to convince others that enslaving manaketes like she did to that poor manakete girl, and fighting Cruibian humans is okay! The fact that I didn't yet hear from Elder Muazi is…!" She then broke down, and began crying.

"Elahe," Janiya frowned. She walked over to her retainer, and hugged the djinn. The djinn gasped, but let herself cry. "...Hey, if you want, Elahe, I can get Caspar."

" _You have my own sympathies,"_ Sulaiman said. " _Elder Muazi was once a friend of my mother's, being a sort of guardian for her, and Queen Minoo and Mother would probably have not met if not for the Elder. If I was able to come, I'd do so. All I can do is offer advice on your campaign."_

"But what's this about Sizah trying to convert the djinn?" Darius questioned. "She didn't try that last time she was unleashed."

" _If I may be so bold, young genies are impressionable, and older genies who survived the madness of the Dragon-Genie War may think Sizah has a small point,"_ Sulaiman confessed. " _And she does. It WAS technically a dragon who started that war, they no doubt heard about the Manakete Rebellions the west suffered hundreds of years ago, and young manaketes today have a bit of a maturity issue and some have a tendency to be greedy and destructive. There may be some djinn who could be easily swayed to Sizah's side, especially if she can dominate the minds of manaketes. If I was you, m'lord, I'd try to reassure the people of Cruibia that the djinn as a whole are NOT at war with you, but Sizah is. Furthermore, the last two times she tried to destroy Cruibia, she worked alone, for the most part. That didn't work out for her, so now, she's trying to build an army."_

"...You know your races well," Darius admitted, almost like a proud father. "And your alliances."

" _I've been studying, m'lord,"_ Sulaiman smiled. " _The only other thing I have here besides training. And I like paying attention to politics."_

"That's where we part ways," Saiduq and Janiya both said. The two looked at each other, again.

"...I ship it," Rosetta said.

"I don't know," Elahe sighed, wiping her own tears away, "Lady Janiya's got a thing going with Payam."

"Ooh, love triangle," Ria grinned. "Who wants to bet which boy comes out on top?"

"But Father," Janiya chimed in to return the conversation back to its point, "doesn't this mean that every manakete in the kingdom is at risk now that you have the country on lockdown?"

"I'm worried about the manaketes, too," Yasmin said. "They're visitors, yet they're probably feeling trapped. What if Sizah or what followers she has go after them? Rerci have mercy on their souls."

"I may have erred in that, at least," Darius said. "But better to avoid any more problems coming in. We have enough headaches between Sizah and those Neo Crusaders."

"Please!" Dastan scoffed. The leader of the Cruibian Templars walked in, pointed to the hologram, and said, "You're out of line, Prince Sulaiman, to think that you know an enemy of Cruibia like this!" Turning to the Madanis, especially a frowning Yasmin, he said, "Princess Yasmin, Princess Janiya, and Your Majesty, let me be the first to assure you, that there are no manaketes in Cruibia save for the one in Sizah's clutches! We've locked down the country, so nobody can get in or out without letting us know."

"Well, we should rescue her, at least!" Janiya said, looking up from soothing Elahe. "That poor girl's been tortured by Sizah for who knows how long!"

"We'll keep an eye out," Darius said. "And who knows, Dastan? Cruibia is a large kingdom. Some manaketes could have slipped through before the quarantine happened. But maybe you dismiss my daughter's future husband too quickly. He may be onto something."

" _Thank you, Your Majesty,"_ Sulaiman smiled with a bow.

"You can call me 'Father'," Darius chuckled. Turning to Dastan, he continued, "The only thing Sizah hates for certain more than Cruibia are manaketes or those with dragon blood. We should at least look around." Turning to Janiya and Yasmin, he said, "You girls will be joined by Captain Il-Hazad in this matter. Investigate any and all rumored sightings of manaketes."

"You're letting me back in the field!?" Janiya beamed. "Thank you, Father!"

"I only do this, because I know you'll never just sit down," Darius said. "In the meantime, I hate to send you without a little bit more back-up, so I'm insisting someone from Dastan's Templars joins you." He turned to Dastan, and said, "Do you have anyone?"

"Well, there's Nikou," Dastan said. "Her training's almost complete, so she should be honored to join you in a few days."

"You're sending a Templar with us?" Elahe questioned.

"I know, magi and Templars don't exactly get along," Darius said. "But don't worry, this Templar will be given specific orders to NOT kill genies."

" _Oh, thank the gods,"_ Sulaiman, Lamia, and Elahe all said. Everyone looked at the three. " _One-quarter ifrit."_

"Full jann," Elahe added.

Lamia off-screen finished, " _I just so happen to be a cleric, and Lord Sulaiman and my father both think I'd be a great Priestess."_

"Makes sense," Janiya said.

"That's not the only thing I'm thinking, Lamia," Yasmin giggled. "You and I really need to have a girl talk when you come with Prince Sulaiman. Trust me."

"We better get ready," Janiya sighed. "I have to gear up. Where's Hova?"

"It's right here, cousin," a male voice said. Milad stepped in, holding her book, and reading it. "I can't believe Gargec had made this. The spells in here… perhaps channeling other elements, you could do so much more."

"Hey!" Janiya frowned. "Give it back!"

"I think you shouldn't have this back, just yet," Milad said. "Benyamin and Ziba both told me what happened in your last battle. How you nearly killed everyone with a huge tornado and nearly got yourself killed if not for Uncle Darius because that Crusader insulted Aunt Minoo one time too many for you. You always did have a hair trigger with your temper and your mother." Janiya swiped at him with her hands, but her younger male cousin sidestepped her. "I rest my case. Until you learn to control your emotions, Janiya, I don't think you should be trusted with a legendary weapon like this."

"He's abrasive, m'lady, but your cousin's not wrong," Dastan said. "Perhaps you shouldn't carry Hova, right now."

"...Fine," Janiya sighed. "There's no harm in him having it. It's not like he'll be able to use it."

"Never say 'never', cousin," Milad said. "Unlike Ben, I have trained my magic since I was young. He only started taking magic seriously. With a little time, I can be the first non-royal to use Hova in almost a thousand years."

"A little ambitious, cousin?" Janiya scowled.

"I'm just saying, I've studied magic for a long time, and this book is older than House Madani." Janiya sighed, but let it rest. So, she didn't have Hova for a while… she could make do.

"Alright, fine," Janiya said. Looking back at Sulaiman, she said, "Okay, enough politics. I'm going to spend the next several minutes taking my newfound frustration out on you."

 _"As you wish,"_ Sulaiman said. _"But I will NOT make it easy for you. Like I said, before, I will focus my full attention on you."_ With that, the two young royals gripped their swords, took fighting stances, and then clashed blades over the astral plate.

* * *

 **North Cruibian Desert—Four Days Later**

Janiya, Yasmin, and their group traveled through the desert. "Ziba," Yasmin said, "are you sure this was where a manakete was sighted?"

"Uh-huh," Ziba nodded. "Yasmin, I assure you, Father's never been wrong about manakete sightings! He should know, he was captured by them!"

"And Mother tried saving him from them, only to be beaten by Miss Tawni's father," Yasmin recalled. "Speaking of Miss Tawni, I kind of feel bad I never got her caravan's astral plate magical frequency."

"Do you think they have one?" Janiya questioned.

"Well, the Romani people were the first ones to discover the process of using astral plates and crystals, m'lady," Caspar said. "I read that they originally used it for fortune telling before the crystals became smaller and magical advancements helped develop them for personal use."

"Yes, that matches my records," Benyamin agreed. "So, cousins, suppose we find the manakete we're looking for. What does Uncle Darius want us to do?"

"Father never really specified," Janiya frowned. "But if I was him, I'd want the manakete to be safe." It was at this point, the crunching of feet on sand interrupted them. Only this crunching wasn't any of theirs. The group looked up to see, to their surprise, a trio of young manaketes running in fear.

"Koreha... Saiaku no tabi... Kore made!" a female manakete, a dark purple haired woman with the appearance of a teenage girl, panted, looking at her torn kimono. She whimpered. "Mazu, watashitachiha machigatta funeninoru! Sore kara watashitachiha rokku daun no kuni ni nari, hotondo dare mo watashitachi o rikai suru koto ga dekimasen! Watashitachi ga ikutsu ka no ruigigo o mitsuketara, karera wa riyū naku watashitachi o tsukamaeyou to shite imasu! Sate, watashi no sukina yukata wa dainashidesu!" She began crying. "Watashitachiha jimoto no gyoryōri o tanoshiminagara, ima wa jūsu ni iru hazudesu! Sizah to Ustrosi Thieves girudo no korera no shinja ga kari o shite iru wakede wa arimasen!"

"Ochitsuite, Shime. Watashitachi wa kore o dōnika shite demasu," the teal haired manakete said, although she looked at her own tattered clothes. "Osoraku, watashitachi ga jūzu kaihō-sai o wasurete shimatta saikō no monodesu."

"On'nanoko, shite kudasai! Anata wa watashi no shinkei ni notte iru to shuchō shite iru!" the final manakete, this one a redheaded male, fumed. "Saiwai ni mo, watashi wa jissai ni orobian-go o mananda." He turned to the group, and said, "Hello. Are you Orobians?"

"Yes," Janiya said. "Was that…?"

"Xuhuan," Elahe said. "Apparently, it's Giuss' Independence Day. Good for them! Too bad about missing the fish."

"Ā amai shantan ni kansha! Watashitachi o rikai dekiru hito!" the more emotional of the two girls beamed.

"Watashi wa gengo o hanasu koto ga dekiru koto ni jishin o motte imasu!" Elahe smirked. "Y compris Roseanne de cette fois je suis allé aux Outrealms. Dieux, c'était romantique."

"Oh, right, genies are universal language gurus," Yasmin beamed.

"Genie!?" the redhead growled. He pulled out his dragonstone, and said, "Keep away from us! I may be a diplomat, but this stone is for more than show!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Emerald said, grabbing her lance. "Hold your horses, dragon! What happened to you!?"

"What happened to us!?" the redhead asked. "Well, genies have caused us a lot of headache! Almost as much as this quarantine! Nobody's sick, so why lock the country down!?"

"You have our apologies for the lockdown," Yasmin said, bowing her head. "When Father issued it, he meant to trap a dangerous genie named Sizah in Cruibia until she has been caught. He didn't think that manaketes would be targeted."

"Father?" the redhead questioned. "Wait… you're the royal family of this place!?"

"Yes," Janiya said. "We're the princesses, Janiya and Yasmin. Nice to meet you, um… I'm sorry, I don't think we ever got your names."

"I'm Norisue," the redhead replied. "This is Shime and Asu. They're sisters, neither of them really fight, and they help me with my diplomat work in exchange for being taken on lavish vacation. Sadly, we got on the wrong ship from Argelia to Giuss… and not because I was too distracted by a hot wind manakete bridesmaid! We ended up in Orobia, and had to smuggle ourselves out of Ustros, fighting the Thieves Guild, and we got in here, only to find Cruibia's on quarantine! Now, we're trapped here, and then genies suddenly tried to enslave us, saying something about this one named Sizah showed them manakete subjugation was possible!"

"...Yeah, she did," Elahe frowned. "She came to our village, more than likely killed our elder when he refused to aid her plan, and she's declared war against Cruibia."

"Why?" Norisue questioned. "What did you Cruibians ever do to her?"

"She hates all manaketes," Benyamin answered. "Especially hybrids like our goddess, Rerci. Sizah considers worshipping manaketes a sin, and wants to destroy us and set an example." Before they could talk about it any further, a few jann genies floated in, on their own carpets, followed by a male genie on foot wearing a fur-laced, open vest to show off his impressive torso, black hair, red glowing eyes, and black shorts, holding a red stone with a fang on it, and followed by members of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild.

"There they are!" the lone foot genie called to his fellows. He raised his stone to the sky, and suddenly was enveloped in red light. When the light faded, he was now a large gray dog, who howled. " **Koko ni ki nasai, doragonzu! Watashi wa itsumo meido ga hoshikatta!"**

"Shikashi, watashi wa ryōri ni umaku ikazu, watashi wa fukusō no tame no oppai ga arimasen!" Shime yelped. She turned to the princesses, and begged, "Kurubibu hito, sekushīna meido no jinsei kara watashi o sukutte kudasai!"

"...What did they say?" Ria requested.

"Oh, the jann's interested in turning the manakete girl in the yukata into a maid, and she's worried about her lack of cooking skills or bust," Elahe said. "To be fair, most Xuhuan girls prefer to have smaller figures. And she's asking for us to save her."

"Well, she's in luck," Janiya scowled, grabbing her sword. "We in Cruibia do NOT tolerate slavery. This may be my first time fighting genies, but I've seen Elahe fight."

"A word before engaging, Princess," Saiduq said. "You don't have Hova, right now. That said, you're only able to do close range attacks unless someone gives you a tome. But I think I see a solution." He pointed to a set of nearby villages. "We should warn the villages about the fighting so they lock up their gates before the Ustrosi Thieves Guild get to them. They'll destroy the villages and pillage from them, especially any rogues you can spot. Who knows, maybe one of them has a tome or two?"

"Right," Janiya said.

"Also, there's not just jann with them," Saiduq observed. He pointed to the jackal-shaped genie. "If I know my djinn, that's a nasna. They're genies who can shape shift into members of the beast tribes. Most nasna, but not all, have beast tribe traits."

"And us without beast-slaying weapons," Janiya frowned.

"They're fast but frail," Saiduq advised. "Princess, you need to be quick if you're going to hit it."

"Thanks for the advice, Commander," the princess nodded. "Alright… let's save these manaketes and the townsfolk!"

"Well, warning our people is ideal," Yasmin agreed. "Not as ideal as what I know Janiya wants to do, Captain… but I don't think we have a choice. Just try not to kill the genies, alright? We still need to show them that Cruibia's human population still cares about the djinn!"

"And that's why I'm NOT using the djinnbane sword," Janiya assured her. "Payam, please try to not kill with your arrows?"

"Easier said than done," Payam said, notching an arrow, "but I'll do what I can." He then fired at the jann while they were flying towards them, inserting a ruinous hole into one of the carpets, sending the djinn tumbling down to the unforgiving sand. She was alive, but she probably had a concussion.

"What the… humans!?" a djinn frowned. "Hey! These manaketes invaded our lands, first! Don't tell me you plan to protect them!"

"They're lost tourists!" Emerald answered, flying up to a female jann one and knocking her down with her lance. The janns then began launching Fire spells at the pegasus knight. But because of her resistance, it didn't do much to her… or her little sister, who swooped up and tackled a genie off of her carpet. Rosetta was then rescued from a perilous fall by Ria, who smirked while her own brown pegasus swooped through the air, Princess Yasmin on the back.

"You really ought to be careful, Rosetta!" Yasmin gently chided.

"Sorry, m'lady!" Rosetta saluted before jumping back onto her own steed. "I'll keep the fight up and protect your little sister."

"Like I need protecting!" Janiya said, riding on the back of her cousin's camel, Ziba's resistance being greater than Janiya's to allow her to get close. Janiya then hopped off the cameland slammed the flat of her sword into a jann's face, knocking him off. She then gripped the now empty carpet, and tried to direct it. "Okay, how the heck does Elahe do this?"

"You're lucky I'm here, m'lady," Ria winked. "So, Lady Yasmin, where to?"

"That village to the north," Yasmin said. The two headed there, spotting Thieves Guild rogues sneaking towards the village. Ria twirled her steel lance, and prepared it for a serious strike.

" **Your luck's out, buddy!"** the half-falcon pegasus knight declared, flying down and striking hard, taking the rogue down. Yasmin casually got off, and headed over to the village gate, which had a woman nearby.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Yasmin said, "I hate to be a burden to you, but your village is in trouble. Thieves Guild thugs have teamed up with some rebellious djinn to attack!"

"Oh my gods!" the woman gasped. "Djinn turning rogue!? Thieves Guild scoundrels!? What's our peaceful country come to!?" Looking at Princess Yasmin, she bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for letting us know! Hey, while you're here, have you heard about that handsome soldier named Saladin? He has a grudge against the Thieves Guild. He should be defending one of the villages from them. Here, give him this to heal his injuries!" She handed Yasmin a Concoction. "And this should help you or one of your companions to reach their full potential." She then gave her a Master Seal.

"You're too generous," Yasmin curtsied after putting them away.

"It's the least I can do," the villager woman nodded. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna get the village locked up." Soon enough, the village was locked up, relieving Yasmin.

"Ooh, a Master Seal!" Ria said. "How lucky are you, Lady Yasmin?"

"I think luckier than my sister," Yasmin frowned, looking up.

"Why?" Ria asked. She was then answered by Janiya screaming as she struggled to keep control over the carpet. "Oh, that's why."

"I'll go get her!" Elahe said. "Payam, come on! Mr. Saiduq, protect Caspar!"

"I don't take orders from you!" Saiduq said, but obeyed her request, nonetheless. He grabbed Caspar, and pulled him out of the way of the charging nasna, who stopped and growled at them. "Looks like you and I will have to deal with this."

"Right," Caspar agreed, twirling his dagger in his hand.

" **These dragons belong to us, Cruibians!"** the nasna growled. " **Back off!"**

"I'm afraid you're breaking our peoples' agreement by attempting to enslave living, sentient beings," Caspar said. "I must ask you to stop."

"No time for talk, butler!" the commander said. "Here he comes!" The nasna charged at them, claws and fangs bared. Caspar blocked the claws, but had to be saved by Saiduq using his spear to block the fangs. Saiduq grabbed the jackal by the throat and flipped him over his shoulder. When the nasna djinn tried to get up, he slammed the butt of the spear into the side of his face, knocking him out and returning him to normal. Meanwhile, a jann floated down in front of the two, but Caspar flicked his knife out, and ran past the jann. When the jann turned to blast him with an Elfire spell, Caspar sheathed his dagger... and the spellbook he was drawing power from fell apart. That was before, of course, several cuts adorned the jann's body, and the jann collapsed.

"Not enough to kill, but enough severed tendons to make it rather hard to walk," Caspar said, walking forward to the jann. He then knocked him out before saying. "I'll patch you up later."

Benyamin flinched at the surprising brutality, "That had to sting." The group all then jumped when they heard a loud boom further down the desert… in the direction where Janiya was flying. "Ooh, that definitely stung."

"I'll go help!" Ziba assured her older brother. Looking at the manaketes, she asked, "Will you all be okay?"

"Go on, help your cousin!" Norisue said. "It's about time I start helping!" He held up his dragonstone, his body engulfed in flames, and became a giant red fire dragon. His fire covered Ziba from the other djinn as she and Benyamin rode off to assist Janiya.

Meanwhile, Janiya finally got up from her crash, and moaned in slight pain. "Okay, I have to appreciate Elahe's carpet flying skills." She then looked to see she was surrounded by mercenaries, rogues, and barbarians. "Oh pegasus dung."

"Well, well," a barbarian chuckled. "If it ain't the pretty young Cruibian princess! All by your lonesome, little girl? We'll take good care of ya before ransoming you back to your daddy. That is if Mawdood doesn't take you and cut your head off like he did to your pauper mom when working with the Empire and that masked upstart." Janiya scowled, gripping her sword, drawing it. "Oh, you have some fight in ya, huh? Well, let's see how much!" He lunged at her with his axe, but the princess blocked his axe with her sword. She slashed back, leaving a serious wound on his chest. "Why you little…!"

Janiya interrupted him by finishing up with a stab, killing him. The princess turned to face the enemies… only to get thrown off her feet by an Elwind spell. When she looked up from the sand, she spotted a jann flying over her. The princess pushed up, but realized her regular sword was too far from her that a mercenary had his sword at her throat. However, before he could swing to cut off her head, two things happened.

The first was that a shield blocked the attack. The shield had the same golden glow as a typical orichalcum shield, and was held in the right hand of a blonde-haired, green-eyed young woman, about 20, wearing the blue and white armor of Cruibia's typical soldiers, about 5'9", and with a rather energetic expression on her face while her left hand gripped the princess' wrist and pulled her up while her right arm pushed back on the sword enough to leave an opening for her to knee him in the groin. While he was writhing in pain, she bashed him on the head with her shield before she killed him with his own sword.

The second thing was that Janiya was finally able to grab her own sword, and stabbed a nearby barbarian sneaking up on the armored woman with a hammer. She picked up the hammer, but frowned when she realized that NOBODY of her group could wield axe weapons. Although if she ever ran into an axe-wielder, that would work.

"Break time's over, Princess!" the woman said. The jann frowned, but fired an Elwind spell at her. The woman's shield lit up again, and blocked the wind spell with no problems.

"Oh gods, templar!" the jann freaked out.

"...What the hell is a templar?" a barbarian asked.

"We're anti-magic knights," the woman answered while Elahe, Payam, Ziba, and Benyamin showed up, Ziba healing Janiya. "And a djinn's worst nightmare, since most of us are trained to kill magi! But the genies here are in luck… I've been told by King Darius no killing of them. You boys, however?" She pulled out her steel sword. "Know that when Hell gets ya, Nikou sent ya!"

"Hold on there," a male voice said. Everyone turned, and all the female Cruibians briefly blinked, when a masked soldier about 6'1" walked in. He wore a turban over his head, but what could be seen of his skin was tanned from a life in the desert. The man wore a blue cloak over his leather tunic, pants, and boots, which was topped by leather armor with light metal plating, and holding a steel lance.

"Who's that?" Benyamin asked while Rosetta flew over.

"I don't know," the pegasus knight said, "but… I bet he's kind of nice under the mask."

"With all due respect, ma'am," the masked man said to Nikou, "the Ustrosi Thieves Guild scum are mine. If you could protect the other villages, I'd appreciate it."

"You heard the man, gang," Janiya said. "Go check on the other villages so they lock up. Payam, Nikou, this guy, and I have this."

"Yes," Payam said, readying his bow against an Ustrosi explorer.

"And you are?" a rogue asked, flipping his dagger.

"The name's Saladin," the soldier said, holding his lance and sinking into a combat stance. "And I've planned exactly how to defeat you."

"Wait… Saladin!?" the rogue asked. "THE Wandering Spear, Saladin? He's one of the guild's top five bounties! Only Guaril Dighton, Sirius Howe, and that damn cat Zabaniya have higher bounties than him! I have to claim this one!" The rogue lunged at him, but Saladin was able to deflect his dagger strike, and impaled him on the steel lance before turning to the other criminals. "Well?"

A barbarian with a steel axe swung at him, but Benyamin hit him with a Flux spell. That was right before, of course, that Janiya, having dropped the hammer, moved past him, impaled him through the back, and blocked a mercenary's sword before Saladin flipped over her and stabbed the mercenary.

"Not bad," Janiya said, the two standing back to back. This was before Payam grabbed her, and pulled her aside to avoid another Elwind spell, but Saladin was hit and sent tumbling, losing his turban to expose his brown messy hair. His mask was also knocked off, revealing his brown eyes and three claw scars going across his nose from one cheek to the other. This didn't stop him from gripping his lance, and focusing as a group of Thieves Guild men surrounded him. Janiya would have run to help, but she had to quickly hide behind Nikou's shield with Payam when a couple more jann flew towards them and began attacking with magic. "Okay, maybe we need some help," the princess admitted.

"Well, well," a barbian chuckled. "Looks like you're all alone. Surrender now, and we may just kill you quickly. If ya don't, we'll make ya watch what we do to your new little friends in that village nearby, and then these lasses, first."

"You're not raiding any more villages," Saladin scowled. "Not while I'm standing."

"Kill him!" an explorer called, firing an arrow. Saladin dodged out of the way, but several mercenaries charged him. Saladin, rather than show any sign of fear, rushed at them, and in a display that awed Janiya, began a surprisingly brutal dance. He easily cut down several mercenaries with the tip of his lance and quick movements rivaled only by Saiduq and Payam. Although out of the corner of Janiya's eye, she saw Payam fire a few arrows to deal with the Elwind spamming jann to knock him down, and the book fell in front of her. She then turned back in time to see Saladin rush as the barbarian, barely blocking his axe attack, and then embedding the tip of his lance in his stomach before pushing deeper. He then pulled it out, and let the man's body drop before stabbing another rogue. When Saladin was finished, several Thieves Guild bodies littered the desert.

Janiya after recovering from that display, spotted a couple jann approaching them. She rolled towards the grounded tome from before, and cast Elwind, sending them tumbling out of the sky. Elahe then returned and threw a Light spell to blind one before Payam littered his carpet with holes and a returning Rosetta took down the last jann near them. Payam then grabbed Janiya and moved her out of the way of an arrow before the two of them took out the last explorer with a combined attack. Payam smirked at her, and she smirked back.

"Good news, cousin," Benyamin smiled as he came back, "the villages are secured. They even had a few things for us." He showed her a Talisman, an Arms Scroll, and an Energy Drop. He then noticed Janiya ignoring him. "J… Janiya?"

Janiya then walked over to Saladin, and finally asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Saladin answered. "You?"

"I'm very… very impressed," Janiya admitted. "So, are you a soldier in the Cruibian army?"

"I'm a soldier, I was born in Cruibia, but I'm not a Cruibian soldier," Saladin answered. "I just heard that the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, before the quarantine, were coming here. I wasn't about to let them run rampant on the villages, here. I don't know why they invaded Cruibia, but it doesn't matter."

"Actually, it kind of does," Janiya answered. "If I had to guess, they're here working with Sizah, a powerful djinn from nearly thirty years ago. She wants revenge against Cruibia. If I could get your help, that would be great."

"...Fine," Saladin said. "Now, where's my sandstorm gear?"

"Over here!" Ziba called, riding her camel over and handing it to him. She then said to her cousin as Saladin reapplied his headwear, "He's kind of handsome in a rugged way, isn't he?"

"...Yeah, he is," Janiya nodded, her cheeks pink, but shook her head. Meanwhile, Ria and Emerald rode back over with Yasmin, Saiduq, Norisue, Shime, and Asu. "There you guys are!"

"Sorry, sister," Yasmin said. "Some jann were back our way. Are the villages safe?"

"Yes," Benyamin said. "Also, I think Ziba has a bit of a crush." The group then heard kneeling, and turned to Nikou.

"Lady Yasmin, Lady Janiya," Nikou said, "I'm honored to be fighting alongside you two. I take it these are the manaketes who need protecting?"

"Yes, they are," Janiya said. "We should get them back to Bagedzi as soon as possible."

"I'll go get a transport ready," Yasmin said. "Janiya, guard the prisoners, okay?" Rosetta, Emerald, Ria, Saiduq, Benyamin, and Ziba went with her.

Janiya sighed, "I can do that." She then turned to the wounded genies, and scowled, "What in the name of Rerci are you all thinking, attacking innocent foreigners!?"

"Why are you protecting them!?" the nasna leader frowned. "Manaketes are nothing but trouble-making lizards who breathe either fire, water, tornados, or very large rocks going at 100 kilometers an hour, and cause gods know how much damage! Cruibia's humans are prepared for dragons waging war on them, yet they have never taken the initiative! And besides, Lady Sizah makes owning a manakete slave seem cool!"

"'Cool'?" Norisue frowned. "You think attacking me and my friends with the intent to brainwash and control them, hell, the very practice of owning a sentient life, is 'cool'!? Taking away the freedom of choice!? I know that Orobian manaketes invented djinn binding to make them subservient as a defense mechanism back then, but do you really think repeating the process is going to change things!? Make them better!?" He then scowled, and said, "I should burn you all alive!"

"Whoa!" Elahe frowned, standing in-between the fire manakete and the djinn. "I know you've suffered, but this isn't the way to deal with it. Besides, they're clearly influenced by Sizah, an evil genie. Sure, they attacked you, but Sizah's the real criminal, here! I can't just let you kill my people!"

"I don't care if they were turned on us by Shuteng-sama Herself!" Norisue scowled. Turning to Janiya, he demanded, "These bastards attacked us for NO reason and with the intent to make us their slaves! If you let them go, they'll be free to try again! They need to die! If you don't kill them, I WILL!"

Elahe frowned. "Please, don't do this! Sizah murdered our village elder, and is now inspiring young djinn like these to betray our Cruibian allies for power! If you kill them, they'll never get a second chance to learn Sizah is wrong! Also, it will eventually turn the djinn against Cruibia!"

"Well that's your own problem!" Norisue frowned. Looking at Janiya, he said, "When we make it back to Xuhua, we'll let the dragon clans know about your aid to us. But I have to see these djinn dead!"

"M'lady won't let this happen!" Elahe interrupted. "Isn't that right, m'lady?"

"Is this typical djinn behavior in Orobia?" Norisue asked. "Trying to protect your own despite their sins right in front of you? In Xuhua, if one of ours commits an unforgivable crime, we wash our hands of them, and then punish them! Perhaps you need to be punished, too!"

Janiya began, "Now, listen here…!" She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her and spotted Saladin.

"A bit of advice, Princess," the soldier said. "Your older sister told me the gist of your mission: you're to protect the manaketes AND secure the djinn's loyalty. But I'm afraid the emotions in this debate are a bit too high for you to accomplish both. You need to consider which mission to do, here."

Janiya sighed, and closed her eyes. She thought about the manaketes, and understood their plight very well. She too has had a constant mind for revenge. Chitra had to die for what she did to her mother. And thanks to the djinn, the foreign manaketes were one meeting with Sizah away from becoming mind slaves that one girl Elahe saw in the village, a fate worse than death in her mind. They didn't seem apologetic, either, so these punks would no doubt try again… she could kill them, and lie to her sister and cousins that they tried to escape. And one does not simply say no to promised dragon help, later on.

But on the other hand, she had to think about Elahe. Apart from her sister and Ziba, Janiya didn't really have too many female friends her age range. Killing these genies in cold blood, no trial, would devastate Elahe. Not to mention she was remembering her future brother-in-law's advice: the djinn, although a minority in Cruibia, were a very powerful minority. She could NOT afford to indulge someone else's revenge, even if they promised to appeal to the Xuhuan manaketes, at the cost of almost gift-wrapping the Cruibian djinn and sending them to Sizah. Cruibia needed to stay together, now, more than ever.

It was not an easy choice, but she made it.

"Elahe," Janiya said, "I'm sorry I caused you to worry." She looked at Norisue, and said, "I'm sorry you were nearly turned into mind slaves because of these djinn… but I need them alive." Norisue predictably growled while Elahe's eyes watered with happy tears.

"You're letting these monsters live!?" he asked. "They're clearly betraying your nation's laws, tried to kill you when you defended us, and are working for this terrorist, and you're letting them live!?"

"Oh, believe me," Janiya frowned, "I know about the desire for revenge! Empress Chitra of Argelia killed my own mother, and never explained WHY my mother and the other Orobian queens had to die that night! So yes, I want revenge for Mother's death! But sometimes, I have to do something I don't want to. Even if that is what's best for Cruibia… which, right now, is to NOT kill the djinn even if they betrayed us. We need to keep our allies, no matter how tempting it is to accept your aid right now."

"...Tempting…?" Norisue scowled. "You're a hypocrite, telling me to give up on it, yet you too have someone you want dead!"

"Norisue-kun," Asu frowned. "Ī nda yo. Koko de hontōni jūyōna no wa, watashitachi ga mada ikite iru to iu kotodesu. Tashika ni, sore wa sukoshi no tōshi kaishū o eru koto wa īdarouga, koreha Jo-kade wanai." Norisue frowned, but relaxed his grip.

"She's saying that all that matters is that they're okay, and revenge will have to be put aside," Elahe translated for Janiya.

"I'm still going to report this to the manaketes of Xuhua when we finally get back," Norisue said, but walked towards the djinn. "Anata wa kōun'na, akumadesu. Anata no kuni no ōjo wa, anata no uragiri nimokakawarazu, watashitachi no fukushū o hitei shi, anata o oshimanai koto ni kimemashita. Kanojo ni kansha shite kudasai."

"He's telling my fellow djinn to be grateful to you that he's being forced to let them live," Elahe said. She then was brushed past by Norisue, and Shime and Asu followed him. "...Thank you, Lady Janiya. I was honestly afraid you were going to kill my people just to please some angry dragons!"

"If you're expecting us to be on our hands and knees to apologize and thank you for your advocating on your behalf," the nasna said to Elahe, "hold your breath, traitor." Elahe scowled.

"I just saved your life by appealing to Lady Janiya's mercy," Elahe said. "So the least you can do, Jezu, is appreciate this second chance."

"M'lady," Nikou interrupted, "permission to speak freely?" Janiya nodded. "I wouldn't have made that same choice, honestly." Janiya and Elahe blinked. The templar crossed her arms, and explained, "Sorry, but I'm a templar, and we're trained to fight magic-users, especially djinn. We've always been trained to fight djinn since the founding of the order during the past 1,000 years in response to threats like Sizah. And it probably didn't take very much for Sizah to have turned these djinn against the humans."

"Only her killing our village's elder, being one of the few known survivors of ancient Orobia around, and showing off dark, forbidden magic," Elahe scoffed. "Magic that we as jann and nasna don't get to see very often. It is tempting, the idea of turning the tables. But I HATE the idea of slavery of any kind. We djinn are easy to chain if you have the right tools. Which templars, especially Argelian templars, usually have access to in their fights against us."

Janiya sighed, and turned to the others. "What do you think?"

"Honestly," Saiduq frowned, "I would have made the same call as our templar, here, if there wasn't room to compromise. They're siding with a dangerous woman against our country. We should at least make sure they're punished."

"...I suppose," Elahe frowned.

"I think m'lady made the right call, actually," Caspar assured her. "Xuhua did once try to conquer us, and we should show our country is united."

"Seconded," Payam said. "I'm miffed they easily sided with Sizah for power when the opportunity presented itself and would probably side with the manaketes if we didn't need djinn help to keep Cruibia together, but the upper class hasn't really paid too much attention to our internal allies since the war started. Maybe now's the time to start repairing bridges."

"It was a hard choice," Saladin said, "but I think for the immediate future, you made the right one. But there's a chance this could backfire."

"...I appreciate everyone's candor." Suddenly, the ground started shaking, only to stop. Janiya looked to see Yasmin running back. "Yasmin?" Janiya asked, spotting the fear and concern on her older sister's face. "What's wrong?"

"I think we missed a dragon!" Yasmin panted. "The earth's shaking, so it must be an earth dragon! And she's on her way, here! We need to get moving!"

Her little sister blinked, but the ground rumbled beneath them. Before Janiya and Yasmin could move, the sand erupted, revealing a massive green dragoness with a light brown underbelly towering over them, with a young man with dark brown dragon wings, light blue hair, wearing a green sleeveless shirt and black pants, and a black eyepatch over where his right eye used to be, leaving a scared yellow left reptilian eye on her head. Janiya shielded her face from the sand, and gripped her sword, unsheathing it while the dragon stared down at her, with Payam, Caspar, Saladin, and Saiduq all brandishing their weapons in defense. But rather than attack them, the dragon bent down, and inhaled with her nose, ruffling Janiya and Yasmin's clothes. The dragoness then grinned.

" **Well,"** the dragoness said, " **this was convenient Who would have suspected I'd meet Minoo's kids out here? Good, I'm here to help!"**

"...What?" Payam asked.

The dragoness then raised her hand, grabbed the young humanoid off of her head, and then dropped him in front of Janiya, before she pinched his pointed right ear with two of her massive claws. The green and brown dragoness then, while the young male manakete repeatedly said, "Ow," shrunk down, turning into a tall, almost Amazonian woman with short yet wild green hair, bright blue eyes, light skin, an athletic yet busty figure wearing a yellow belly shirt that exposed her amazing abs with a slight bulge (and a faded scar on her stomach), a pair of white harem pants, a gold sash with a green stone hanging from her wide hips, her long green tail, and an angry stare on her face as she looked at the young man whose ear she was still pinching.

"Hey, girls," the woman said. "I'm your Aunt Adre. This little dumbass is my niece's boytoy. Say 'hi', boytoy."

"M-Miss Adre, my name's Heluc, and I'm not exactly dating your niece—" He was then interrupted when Adre grabbed his arm, and flipped him onto the ground.

"Because if you were, you wouldn't have been an idiot and gone to the Valley of Fangs with her," Adre replied. Janiya and Yasmin looked at each other, while Adre turned back to them. "So… what's going on, here? Sizah actually has minions?"

"...You know about Sizah being unleashed?" Janiya asked. "And you said your name was… Adre?"

"Yes, and yes," Adre grinned. She then walked forward, and before either princess could react, the woman wrapped her arms around them, embracing them in a hug. "I am so damn sorry you girls have to deal with my past on Minoo's behalf. And that I wasn't there when my blood sisters were killed. But don't worry: Adre's got your backs this time, just like I had Minoo's."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Adre's here! Adre's here! The manakete matriarch is here!

Sorry, but ever since I started working on establishing the Golden Valkyries (Minoo and Farah's group back during Aseel's War), I really wanted to work with them, more. I have to repeatedly tell myself, "Let's get through this, first, then see if writing a prequel starring these ladies will work. Anyway, three new characters plus one extra OC I need to introduce, so yeah... let's get to that.

Now, for the OCs that aren't mine, there's the ocarina player. She belongs to LordofAwesomeness23/World's End34. Yes, the same person who made Sheba. The character was to ally with Sizah, and I wanted to present an opportunity for that moment to happen. As for what she says, look up draconic languages, and you should get a dummy translation. Next, and as an actual playable ally for Janiya, you get Ria, a very lucky pegasus knight retainer of Yasmin's and completing the Pegasus Knight trio. She's owned by Sdarkynecro.

Saladin, who is owned by BlackKnightW (will edit with the real user's name when I remember it). Saladin is a soldier, which is the default lance-user class. Their job is to stab things with said lance and be kind of a defensive shield. Saladin can promote to a Captain like Saiduq, become a general, gaining armor and axes, or a Sentinel, gaining Spearfaire and Impale.

The other joining member is Nikou, a templar. As you saw when Janiya's fought Argelian templars, templars in general take more after the _Dragon Age_ style anti-magic armored class, by using a metal known as orichalcum (I honestly had to look up metals that were in fiction magic-resistant... because it was either this or call it lampsbane, and that didn't sound cool). In short, they're very hard to fight against, but hard to master. Nikou is a very good tank in terms of magic, but is slow and she's not going to perform criticals very often. But templars can become either Guardians, which are armored healers, or Crusaders, who gain magic and access to Light Magic.

Now, remember how I had Janiya make a brief cameo in Sulaiman's campaign? Sulaiman is here returning the favor... and yeah, he's actually a pretty good swordsman on par with (if not slightly better) than Janiya. He advises Janiya to think a bit more about how to solve a problem with more than just swinging a sword and keeping what peace Cruibia has. That translates into this chapter where she makes a choice between sparing the djinn in order to keep peace in Cruibia but upsetting an angry, mistreated manakete diplomat, or giving into the diplomat's request

And yes, the player actually had control over the choice. We'll talk about the long-term consequences, later, but Janiya's avoided making things harder in the immediate future, as well as getting Norisue (who will ONLY join Janiya's group if she agrees to his demand to kill the djinn). Just an FYI, Norisue is a fire dragon, an infantry unit that can power through "trap terrain" like spikes and fire with no damage (since they can burn it away), but comes at the cost of being a glass cannon, and can promote to Magma Dragon (is able to no-sell fire magic with the skill Flamescale), Steam Dragon (getting water walking, Scalding Breath being the equivalent of Poison Strike, and an attack boost), and Lightning Dragon (able to fly, has high skill, and has immunity to Thunder Spells with the ability Sparkscale).

But if you've been building up Elahe (since this decision will affect Janiya and Elahe's relationship and may even cost you her loyalty by sacrificing her people, it's kind of worth it to pass him up for right now. But ultimately, it's up to you.

But what's up to me is addressing some reviews. *Cracks knuckles*

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yeah, Nail would have a field day as one of the Shepherds... well, with Chrom, Robin, Maribelle, and female Morgan at least (and that's not even mentioning _Fates_ with Mozu, Azama, and Kiragi all eating bear at one point). I wanted to reference Frederick and Lissa's hatred of bear meat with Barrack having a, "wait, what" moment. But yes, an indirect attack this early did put Zahar on Sulaiman's radar as someone to avoid. However, Sulaiman realizes with the small group he has right now, he can't actually directly touch Zahar or his followers (it was to the point that he and his allies made sure to AVOID confronting House Botros).

I'm glad you don't mind Ulfah being bisexual. Sure, Niles, Rhajat, and technically Corrin (and the heavy implications but inability to play them like it that Camilla, Tharja, Severa/Selena (for Kjelle), and Kjelle (for Severa)) are bisexual, but Ulfah drops the implications. Yes, she can eventually romance someone other than Thesin, but it takes a bit for her when Thesin. You'll find out in her own supports.

And yeah, you're allowed to make more than one character and submit. I do NOT mind.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** I was kind of aiming for the Jiol archetype somewhere, and I'm glad I nailed it quite early. The main difference between Jiol and Zahar is that Zahar is acting out of paranoia because of Poswa's negative history of backstabbing younger nobles. Sulaiman NOT subscribing to this is beyond his comprehension, and any other young noble is Sulaiman's position of this political marriage would be tempted to make the power play Zahar fears. Does this redeem him? Hell no, he's an asshole, he's kind of a dirty old man, he puts his people in dangerous situations in his self-imposed quest to save Poswa from what he feels is an incompetent regime, and he's kind of a hypocrite about the second son thing (you'll see what I mean later). If anything, his good intentions somehow make him worse, since they are unnecessary.

 **Consort:** Well, you were psychic. Sulaiman actually switched Howe in terms of votes because his campaign finally got off the ground, and it focuses on an internal political struggle between a young man in love and an older traditionalist. And yeah, he did show that Janiya and Yasmin survive their campaign, and Cruibia got really jacked up during it.

Yeah, no, Sakaki isn't the edgelord assassin. I'm not doing Saizo with my true assassin character... they're more inclined to be another similar character. But Sakaki is kind of fun to write. However, crows are glass cannons, so you have to be careful using them as an assassin-type character. Case in point, Zrisse, Howe's first opponent in his campaign. But good suggestion in terms of the best use of a flier thief.

 **Stitcher:** Yeah, Sulaiman may not have the most powerful villain for his intro campaign, but he knows the political game, and plays it pretty well (or at the very least to the point Sulaiman would be the second Sigurd in a heartbeat if he didn't play the game defensively). He's backed up by solid arguments and popular opinion, which makes him a threat almost on par with the other villains. However, what makes him a threat to Orobia is his paranoia and acting on it can endanger political alliances Poswa-if not all of Orobia-needs to win the war, concerned with only Poswa.

 **Ike:** You called that Sulaiman's quarter ifrit being a slight problem. I need to figure out what to do with the merchant, though, so you're gonna have to be patient.

 **Wandering dude 1:** Idris is two things: a dandy and a gourmet. You'll see in his supports with Sulaiman that he knows fashion and food. I like to think of Idris as a "former gentleman thief" who Sulaiman recruited. Unfortunately, he doesn't like Sakaki's fifty-fifty odds with cooking food while Sulaiman is-in a subversion to the running gag that the lord character is a lethal chef-a miracle worker in the kitchen... in response to once being poisoned during a meal. His mother and father both happen to be decent cooks as well, and it plus archery are the two things Sulaiman can do better than Aladdin.

 **ZenoZen:** Wait, which character? Sakaki? Ulfah? ...Thesin or Rawiya?

 **Alibaba:** Well, your wish has been granted, oh great Alibaba, Founding Father of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild. Or are you Alibaba, the man who was targeted by the Forty Thieves from the original tale, only for them to be more-or-less soloed by Morigana? Or are you from _Magi: Labyrinth of Magic?_ Hard to tell.

Well, that's all for now. Except one thing... in the next chapter. Farewell, subjects!


	15. Janiya and Company Supports, Round 1

A/N: Hey, gang! I know you weren't expecting the next chapter of _Night of Tales_ so soon, but...

Wait a minute. *Checks file* Oh... this isn't Sulaiman's next adventure. This is just a group of support conversations unlocked by Janiya. Well, we can peak in on them... right?

Oh come on, you know you want to.

* * *

 **Janiya's Group Supports, Round 1**

Janiya spotted her sister walking in, exhausted. "Sis?" Janiya asked, concerned for Yasmin.

"Oh, hi, Janiya," Yasmin yawned. "Sorry I'm… not in the high spirits you're used to."

"Wedding planning?" Janiya asked, already knowing where this was going. She scooted over her seat on the sofa to offer her sister a spot next to her, which Yasmin gladly took.

"Yes," Yasmin confessed. "I won't lie to you. The stuff I hand you to take care of? That's only a fraction of the things I do." Janiya blinked in surprise. "Yes, helping Father run Cruibia is NOT easy. On top of that, I have a wedding, and there's also the matter of our company. I may let you make the decisions on the battlefield, but I'm our lead healer and leader, so every time one of you gets hurt, I have to wave my staff."

"And considering the fact that I like leading from the front, I'm almost ALWAYS hurt," Janiya concluded. "Also, that's not even mentioning the fact that you have your retainers, our cousins, and my retainers to look after. And you're using that fragment so much to see the future like Mother. Wow, you are the busiest woman in all of Cruibia."

"Yes, you all do have your scrapes…." Yasmin admitted. "And I have to keep an eye on Poswa, too."

"You're not a spymaster," Janiya said. "...Are you?"

"My BETROTHED lives in Poswa."

"Oh, right, Sulaiman," Janiya remembered. She mused a bit, and said, "He saved your life, once?"

"Yes," Yasmin smiled. "Brigands snuck into Tanuhah's Castle. I think they were Ustrosi Thieves Guild. They easily found me in the castle, and, realizing I was a princess, tried to ransom me. But Sulaiman ambushed them, got me away, and, with his retainer Lamia's help hid me in the castle's secret passages until one of Poswa's knights found us."

"...Wow," Janiya said. "What was he, ten years old? That's kind of impressive."

"It's also kind of romantic, don't you think?" Yasmin sighed.

"In a puppy kind of way," Janiya replied. "But your love story seems a tad convenient."

"Huh?" Yasmin asked.

"It just happened that when you two were just children who first met probably a few days at most when this incident happened, the Thieves Guild just happened to sneak in, happened to stumble upon you, happened to realize you were a foreign princess, Sulaiman happened to know about secret passages in his castle that Mother and Father, who didn't, and you happened to be visiting with Mother and Father. That's a very bizarre and specific set of coincidences. One or two things happening is odd, but okay. But all of them? Don't you think it's kind of… forced?"

"Janiya, please tell me you're not accusing the love of my life of staging my kidnapping and rescue just to get me to fall in love with him."

"No! Gods, no! Quarter-genie or not, he was at the most 10 years old! There's no way he could have been able to put together that complicated of a plan, let alone pull it off." She shook her head. "Maybe I'm being paranoid." She then said, "Hey, Yasmin… why don't you and I just take a spa day? Just the two of us and our girls? I happen to know a couple places in Bagedzi who will keep us anonymous, yet treat us like queens."

"Spa day…?" Yasmin asked. She then laughed. "I keep forgetting you, for all of your tomboyish tendencies, love your baths!"

"Mother was the same way, from what I remember," Janiya smiled. "And I can have my feminine moments… it's just that I don't embrace romance novels or wear dresses like you do. Speaking of which, for our trip to the spa, my one rule is we do NOT talk about the wedding!"

"Fine," Yasmin agreed. "As long as we don't talk about the war. It's a depressing topic."

"...Deal," Janiya said. "Tomorrow, we'll go. I'll let the others know, so you just relax!" Janiya then ran out, leaving Yasmin to sigh and collapse on the sofa.

"...I do deserve a break, don't I?" Yasmin said aloud. "I hope Father's okay with it, too."

 _ **Janiya and Yasmin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

" _Doo do-da, doo do-da, doo… do da la, doo do-da, doo da, doo do-da, doo…."_

Janiya looked up from her training, and saw her childhood friend playing his flute, playing a rather calming yet unfamiliar melody. "That's a new one, Payam," Janiya said, sheathing her sword. "Almost made me dance. Where did you hear that?"

"Actually, it's an old song from one of the Outrealms," Payam said, looking up. "I'm sorry, Janiya, I didn't mean to disturb you, but there was nowhere else to practice."

"Kind of a flip on how you and I first met," Janiya said. "My crying interrupted your music, and you yelled at me for it. But then, you realized I was lost, and you got me back to the castle."

"Only to shut you up," Payam chuckled. "I couldn't believe you were the princess of Cruibia until I found out where you lived… and the armed guards."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Janiya apologized. "Again. But at least you weren't killed and we became best friends!"

"True," Payam answered.

"But there's a question that's been on my mind ever since I saw you hold a bow," the princess said, walking over to him. She grabbed his flute, and asked, "Why not become a minstrel?"

"You mean one of those Romani bards?" the young musician asked. "Oh, simple: I'm not a fan of traveling, and I don't have a teacher for other types of music besides my mother." Janiya blinked.

"Y… You're joking, right?" she asked. "You go with me on adventures all the time in Cruibia."

"Yes, in CRUIBIA," Payam replied. "But you and I have hardly ever been OUTSIDE of it, where who knows what could happen to you. It's kind of worrying, thinking what's out there, waiting for you."

"Me?" Janiya asked. "Payam, I can take care of myself on the battlefield. Or did you forget our last battle? And even during the times I can't, I DO have a pair of reliable retainers. I don't need a bodyguard."

"I know you have Elahe and Caspar, but I've known you longer than both of them. And I don't mean to disrespect your skills as a fighter, but you can always use backup. That's why I'm here."

"Well, backup is a little better," Janiya frowned, turning away from him. "But Payam, I know what's waiting for me outside of Cruibia: an empire across the sea. I'll face it alone if I have to if it means getting to the Empress who took my mother from me."

"And that's why you need backup," Payam said. "Even if we survive the internal problems Cruibia has, you said it yourself, there's an empire you have to face in order to fight the Empress and end this war. But I'm worried you're going to be so focused on revenge, you're not going to look out for yourself. All it takes is for one sword to kill you. That's where I'm going to come in: to block said sword, even if it costs me my life."

Janiya looked at Payam, and blinked. "Well… that's a little grim. I'd hate for anything to happen to my best friend."

"And I the same," Payam agreed. He shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry, m'lady, I shouldn't be bringing up bleak topics like this. Excuse me." He then walked away, leaving Janiya frowning.

"Payam… aw, man, I didn't mean to worry you."

 _ **Janiya and Payam have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Lady Yasmin, I'm here," Emerald said, dismounting her pegasus. "What do you need?"

"Wow, you are quite prompt, Emerald," Yasmin commented. "I only gave Rosetta orders to summon you half an hour ago."

"I try to be prompt, m'lady," Emerald said. Yasmin, meanwhile, circled her retainer. "Um… m'lady?"

"Sorry, I'm just trying to figure you and your sister out," Yasmin confessed. "You two are pratically polar opposites. You're always serious, yet Rosetta is wacky. You're in control, yet Rosetta is often hyper. Even your fighting styles, which Janiya has observed and pointed out to me, are different, despite you having the same teachers. You're precise yet weak otherwise, yet she's all over the place but strong."

"That is all true, m'lady," Emerald said. "Although… permission to speak freely?"

"It's alright," Yasmin assured her. "We're alone."

"Thank you," Emerald said. She then continued, "Although, as true as that all is, I think you're one to talk, m'lady." Yasmin tilted her head. "You and your little sister are an inverted version of us. With the exception of a few instances where your big sister instinct kicks in, you don't really take this war seriously and you're often flighty."

"That is very true," Yasmin admitted. "But I think my relationship to Janiya isn't that clear-cut like yours is with Rosetta. Janiya and I have a yin and yang with our sisterhood. There are times where she's definitely more responsible than I am. But there are plenty of times where I take charge and watch her back. Also, before Caspar was assigned to be her retainer, I was the one who was often her healer when she inevitably hurt herself. In return, before you and Ria were assigned to be my retainers and Rosetta tagged along with you, she often protected me from anything bad happening. In a way, we look after each other."

"...I… I see," Emerald observed. "Wow, I underestimated you. Perhaps Rosetta and I should really talk about our sibling relationship."

"Speaking of sibling relationship," Yasmin asked, "I really should address the fact that you, when first asked to be my retainer, insisted that Rosetta join you, despite her not yet finishing her training. Why is that?"

"...Well, Rosetta and I are the only people we had, back then."

"Oh," Yasmin frowned. "A tough topic… I'm sorry."

"It's alright, m'lady," Emerald said. Before the two could talk any further, Rosetta landed her pegasus near them. "Oh, Rosetta!"

"Hey, sis, m'lady!" Rosetta beamed. "I'm sorry, m'lady, I just wanted to make sure that Emerald was still coming to dinner. It's my turn to cook!"

"It's okay," Yasmin said. "I'll let you girls go. Take care."

"You too, m'lady," Emerald said. Yasmin then walked away, leaving Emerald and Rosetta to themselves. Emerald then said, "So… Lady Yasmin, serious?"

"Oh yeah!" Rosetta nodded. "You just don't see that, often!"

"Well, as an older sister myself, I SHOULD see this!" Emerald said. "It will be a chance for retainer and liege to grow closer!"

"Okay," Rosetta said. "But how about you start after dinner, sis?"

"...Fine," Emerald shrugged.

 _ **Yasmin and Emerald have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Ziba was concentrating her staff on a seriously injured pegasus knight, the poor woman whimpering in pain. But despite how much energy Ziba was concentrating into healing the wound, the pegasus knight wasn't getting any better. In fact, her breathing was getting a bit shallower… until she stopped.

"...Time of death," a nearby healer said, looking at the nearby clock, "12:06 p.m."

"No!" Ziba cried. "There has to be something left of her!"

"I'm sorry, there's not," the healer sighed. "Lady Ziba, there's nothing more you can do." Ziba frowned, but walked away while the older healer covered the body. However, Ziba was trembling.

Sighing as he watched the ordeal from the shadows, Saiduq shook his head. It was a shame seeing good men and women dying in this conflict, and while he himself would gladly die standing, rooted upright by his spear, he understood the tragedy of war and loss of life all too well, both as a soldier and as a man. Walking over the commander placed his hand on Ziba's shoulder, his tone serious yet his expression was one of awkwardly forced comfort, comforting words to those who had not yet adapted to the taste the blood, sweat, tears, and death of war was not something Saiduq was well-versed in. He was much more at home leading the charge of a battle rather than handling the emotional cleanup of the aftermath of a skirmish gone wrong.

"You need to get ahold of yourself milady."

"C-Commander Il-Hazaad?" the little noble girl asked. She wiped her tears from her eyes, and asked, "Did you… did you hear all of that?"

"This will not be the last brush with death our forces will face. There is little comfort to be found in bloodshed milady, however if you break then you will cause the faltering of many others."

"You're really bad at cheering people up."

"I am not one for emotional comfort in times like these, but you need to understand that you need to let go of the dead and continue marching forward… That's all we can do to honor this young woman, and all others who continue to perish in this war…"

"Why is it that people even fight, anyway!?" Ziba said. "Too many people get hurt… or worse!"

Saiduq's expression went somber at her words and he responded in a calm voice. "Because in the end, that's a soldier's lot in life. We have to fight so that one day our children and our children's children hopefully won't have to. We fight for those who have already died fighting for what they believe in. We fight, unfortunately because this is the only way most of us military men and commoners can protect our homes and families. Unfortunately, milady, if we don't fight we will lose everything to our enemies. That's just how things are."

Ziba frowned, but nodded. "...What should I do? I hate feeling this… this helpless! What if Janiya, Yasmin, Benny, Milad, or Uncle Darius get really hurt during this and I'm the only healer around!? Or Mother and Father get targeted by the enemy!? Or… well, somebody I care about!? I already lost Aunt Minoo five years ago!"

Saiduq's grip on Ziba's shoulder tightened, not enough to inflict pain, but enough to bring her back to her senses hopefully. "Milady, it does you no favors to think in such a fatalistic manner. Between the Princesses, they have very capable retainers and know enough to defend themselves. As for King Darius, I fear more for his enemies than for his own life. Our King is no slouch with his sword. While it is true we lost Queen Minoo those years ago, there was little we could do about such underhanded tactics. We know better now. Right now, simply focus on being the best healer you can, but do not grow too attached to the soldiers around you. Aside from you, King Darius, Princess Janiya, Princess Yasmin, and Lords Benyamin and Milad, the rest of us soldiers without royal blood are already prepared to lay down our lives for the Royal Family."

Ziba seemed to get it. "I… I guess you're right. At least, I shouldn't be thinking like this about my family." She sighed. "...Do you think the lady had a family? I… I should let them know, shouldn't I?"

Saiduq merely nodded and gave the girl a small smile. "That would be very kind of you milady. I'm sure a message from you both as a noble and as a healer would mean much to her family." Saiduq then turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction, a serious expression on his face as he walked away and thought to himself silently, '(Indeed. We soldiers have already made peace with our eventual deaths. But the Princess and her company… are they yet properly prepared to understand what war truly means…? Only time will tell.)'

Ziba, meanwhile, gave a small smile as she watched Saiduq away. '(He's a bit rough… but Commander Il-Hazaad is kind of nice.)' She then walked out, going to her own quarters. Although she hated giving such terrible news to someone's loved ones about their death, she felt she was better prepared to do it, now.

 _ **Saiduq and Ziba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Let's see, here," Yasmin said, reading over the report. "A signed petition, hm? This is for the pegasus knight academy to recieve more funding… wow, that's a LOT of signatures. Perhaps Father and I should look at the state of the academy." Looking at the image of Sulaiman, she asked, "What do you think, my dear?"

He opened his mouth to answer—

 _ **WHAM!**_

The doors to Yasmin's study flew open, courtesy of Rosetta kicking it open. "Good afternoon, m'lady!" Yasmin jump and nearly fell over, accidentally knocking her astral plate over, nearly ending the call. "Um… m'lady?"

"Rosetta?" Yasmin questioned, getting up after putting her astral plate back up. "Why didn't you knock?"

"Sorry," Rosetta said. She then looked at Sulaiman, and beamed, "Oh, hello, Lord Sulaiman! Did I interrupt a juicy, romantic conversation between lovers?"

" _Actually, I'm just helping Yasmin with some paperwork,"_ Sulaiman said. _"We've been at it for the past three hours. It's good practice for what I would have to do as her husband."_

"You mean when you two aren't making heirs?" Rosetta asked. Sulaiman raised an eyebrow while Yasmin awkwardly giggled. "It's okay, babies are great."

" _Yasmin, why don't you take a break?"_ Sulaiman said. _"You could use it."_

"I suppose," Yasmin said. "I'll call you back, later. Say hi to Ebony for me."

" _I will,"_ Sulaiman said. He bowed, and cut the connection. Yasmin, meanwhile, turned to Rosetta, and sighed.

"Rosetta, I love you, but I have to insist you respect my privacy," the crown princess said. "What did you want?"

"Well, I was coming to deliver a message," Rosetta said, pulling out a scroll, and handing it to her. Yasmin opened it as Rosetta explained, "It was from Commander Dastan, requesting your presence at the next war council."

"...Um, Rosetta?" Yasmin asked. "When did you get this scroll?"

"About two hours ago, why?" Rosetta asked.

"I'm supposed to be there in fifteen minutes, which means I'm now running late."

"Oh… that's bad," the pink pegasus knight gasped. "I'm sorry!" Yasmin sighed, standing up.

"Let's get going," she said. "Screen, please."

"Wait, 'we'?" Rosetta beamed, opening the folding screen. "I'm honored, m'lady, to be coming to such an event!"

"Yes," Yasmin replied, walking around her desk to get behind the changing screen. As her rather relaxed outfit was hanged over the screen, she explained, "But this isn't a reward, it's actually a bit of a punishment for delivering information late when I could have prepared for this meeting earlier… as well as the rude interruption. Green two-piece dress, please."

"Yes, m'lady," Rosetta nodded, reaching into Yasmin's closet and pulling out a green, sleeveless two-piece dress that would expose her lady's mid back and somewhat of her midriff with a long skirt. She handed it to Yasmin, who took it behind the screen. "Wait, how is me coming to a war council as your assistant a punishment?"

"When Commander Dastan hosts these meetings, it usually is incredibly droll, and will be a bunch of tedious information we already know." Stepping out from behind the screen, she explained, "You're coming with me, and you are to write down EVERYTHING that's talked about. And then, after I take my inevitable two-hour nap, you're going to be needing to, without looking at your notes, recite to me what you've taken from the meeting so I can check your understanding."

"Oh man, this is like the academy all over again," Rosetta realized.

"Good, you know where I'm going with this," Yasmin beamed, quickly applying some eyeshadow and blush. "Speaking of the pegasus knight academy, do you know any reasons it might need to be funded?"

"Well, the school, last time I visited, is currently understaffed, m'lady. Also, with the Cruibian pegasi population dwindling due to the Argelians and the Thieves Guild, a lot less girls are seeing the thrill of soaring on the back of pegasi."

"So, you're kind of brilliant, but have a bit of a focus problem," Yasmin clapped her hands. Rosetta blinked. "Well, we're going to have to work on your focus, Rosetta!"

"Do we have to, m'lady?" Rosetta asked.

"Yep!" Yasmin said before putting on some lipstick. "Don't worry, I have had the same problem. We can work on it, together. Of course, that's starting with this war council. Now come on." With that, Yasmin and Rosetta left the room.

 _ **Yasmin and Rosetta have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Where is she?" Benyamin whispered. "Damn it, I shouldn't have asked her to come with me and Yasmin…."

After their last battle, Benyamin had not seen hide or hair from his little sister. As the oldest of his family (both his own immediate and his extended), Benyamin had a responsibility to look after everyone… including his little sister. Especially his little sister. And unfortunately, unlike Janiya (who was leading the group), Milad (who studied combat magic as a child), Yasmin (who was used to seeing these serious injuries and was trained in some combat magic by his mother and Lady Lilah leading the Cruibian pegasus knights), and himself (who had trained in combat magic for the past five years), Ziba was NOT qualified to fight. She was an idealistic girl, very sweet and very energetic, but she was not suited for war.

Yet she came, anyway. And that last battle definitely shook the poor girl.

Benyamin was shook out of his reverie when he heard healing magic being concentrated, and saw the light of a staff shining. Benyamin pushed a nearby door open to see Ziba concentrating on not a wounded ally soldier, but… an enemy. Specifically, a semi-conscious woman dressed in bandages and a hospital gown over her smallclothes. Over in the corner, Benyamin spotted a set of red and yellow clothing… as well as a bow and a healing staff, as well as a crate of goods. It didn't take much for Benyamin to realize this was an Argelian.

"Sol kolun kırılmış, ama iyi olmalısın, aksi halde. İki kol gerektiren bir şeyi kaldırmaya çalışmayın. İyi davranılacaksın," Ziba said to her.

The fact that his little sister was speaking to the woman in Argelian also helped.

"Merhamet için teşekkür ederim," the woman whispered. She then gasped, spotting Benyamin.

"Ziba… is that an Argelian apothecary?" Benyamin asked. Ziba looked up from her work, and nodded before going back to tending to the woman. "...Okay, next question. How in Rerci's name did YOU manage to capture an Argelian sneak, sneak her back here, and began treating her WITHOUT alerting myself, Milad, Janiya, Yasmin, Mother, Father, or King Darius."

"...It wasn't easy, and Father helped," Ziba answered. "After out last battle, I spotted her. It turns out she was conscripted, and a stray arrow got her in the side, and then she fell down and broke her arm. She was bleeding… I couldn't help it! I was going to tell the others, but I got scared, and told Father! I'm sorry!"

"...It's fine," Benyamin said. "At least you didn't try to hide this from everyone. Just… let's keep this away from Uncle Darius, Janiya, and especially Commander Dastan for right now. The last thing we need is someone overreacting."

"Okay," Ziba said, finishing up.

"But Ziba, conscript or not, it doesn't really change that she's an Argelian soldier, and therefore the enemy. Although right now, she's a prisoner of war. I know you had good intentions, but the fact that you did this without Janiya or Yasmin's approval puts us in a rather difficult position, Ziba."

"Sorry, Benny," Ziba frowned, her hands behind her back. "I'll tell the others about Muhsine, soon." She turned back to her patient, and said, "Çok üzgünüm, ama ailemi sana anlatmalıyım, Muhsine. Ama benim korumam altında olacaksın. İşkence veya idam edilmeyecek ve iyi muamele görmeyeceksiniz."

"Anlıyorum," Muhsine nodded. "Başın belada olduğu için üzgünüm ama hayatımı kurtardığın için teşekkür ederim." Ziba nodded.

"Şimdi dinlen. Yakında geri geleceğim." Ziba and Benyamin then walked out.

"I know it doesn't feel like the right thing," Benyamin said. "But sometimes, keeping a secret from your family causes more problems than it solves. Believe me."

"You've kept secrets before?" Ziba asked.

"There's a lot about Mother's training she doesn't tell people, but had caused a few problems. She once dabbled in the dark arts, which is why your brothers are involved in it, but she pulled back. I try to avoid going too far, just enough to throw a few curses around to fight regular mages, but Milad… your twin is an ambitious kid."

"So, I'm the black sheep of the family?" Ziba asked.

"More like the white sheep," Benyamin smiled. "And I prefer it that way. Make sure you come to me if you have any trouble, alright? I always have an ear out for my little sister." Ziba hugged him.

 _ **Benyamin and Ziba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Whoo-hoo! This is flying!" Elahe looked at Janiya while they flew on the back of her carpet, finding the princess half-panicked. "Something wrong, m'lady?"

"Elahe, slow down!" the princess said. "You're going to kill us! Isn't a retainer's job to protect their liege!?"

"Sorry!" Elahe said, slowing down the carpet ride. "I just feel… so relieved in the air. It kind of makes me forget all about the war."

"Well, destressing is a going thing, I suppose," Janiya said. "Glad you have somewhat of a hobby. Albeit one that makes me wonder what goes on in my older sister's head when she flies with her retainers."

"Oh, right, Lady Yasmin's retainers are all pegasus knights," Elahe giggled while they floated down. Janiya then leapt off the carpet while Elahe stepped off before making it disappear.

"Where does your magic carpet go when you desummon it?" Janiya asked.

"Where the rest of my stuff goes: my special pocket dimension connected to the astral plane."

"Special pocket dimension?" Janiya asked.

"You know, for a princess whose retainer is a genie and whose sister's boyfriend is a quarter-genie, you don't really know a whole lot about genies, m'lady."

"Well, I've been told that I'm somewhat of a quick study, despite my hate of trying to run a country," Janiya said, hands on her hips. "Enlighten me."

"Well, if history's accurate, ancient Orobia originally belonged to the djinn," Elahe said. "With our powerful magic, we easily ruled over humans. Summon magic was one of the first things we showed humans to give us a 'godlike' image, but what they didn't know is that there exists an alternate realm of existence called the 'astral plane', which works on a different matter of space and time than this world. It's kind of where the astral plates, which you know are magical rocks, came from."

"That makes sense, actually," Janiya nodded. "So, summoning… can you teach it to anyone?"

"Well, not really pure-blooded humans," Elahe said. "Only older genies could possibly teach you… and the only Elder I know of that powerful is Muazi. And he never did really teach humans summoning magic, before."

"Guess I'll have to carry my stuff the hard way," Janiya frowned.

"Wait, you're serious, princess?" Elahe asked.

"It's a great technique, in my opinion," Janiya answered. "Imagine the practicalities in battle."

"Of course, that's immediately where you'd go with it," Elahe frowned.

"Well, think about it," Janiya reasoned. "I'm pinned down by an attacker, my sword is nowhere to be found, they have me in a chokehold, I'm running out of air, there's nobody around to help me, I'm about to die, yet I have free control over my hands. I then, with a flick of my wrist, summon my sword, and bam! Impaled enemy!"

"...Where the heck did you think of this?" the genie questioned.

"Father once told me that Mother saw Sultana Farah do this to a templar who was taking his time trying to kill her."

"Oh, right, she was an ifrit," Elahe remembered. "Well, I've never done that myself, because I don't normally fight up close. Maybe I can find someone who can teach us."

"You'd do that?" Janiya grinned.

"As much as I'm not liking how you almost immediately decide to use summoning magic for violence," Elahe replied, "I have to admit, you kind of have a point that in a pinch, it could be useful. And compared to Caspar, I'm kind of slacking on 'retainer duties' in terms of protecting you. So, yeah, let's learn. I'll put feelers out in the astral plane to see if any genie could teach us."

"Thanks, Elahe," Janiya said. "Now then… let's get back to the others. On foot, this time."

 _ **Janiya and Elahe have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Alright," Caspar smirked as he walked over to the stove, "the food should be ready." With a quick taste test, he then said, "Now, to get it out to the rest of the camp… but it's an awful lot. Lady Janiya burns through calories faster than she can eat with her training. Not to mention Elahe. I don't know where either of them put it all. Oh well. I'm not sure I can get it all out in time before it starts going cold."

"Did somebody order a genie to assist?" Elahe asked, appearing next to him. Caspar nearly jumped, and held his dagger. "Oh gods! Sorry, Caspar… I was kind of wondering where you were, and Lady Janiya told me you were here in the galley."

"Well, at least knock first!" Caspar breathed. "I honestly thought you were… someone else." He then sighed, "I'm sorry. I should be used to you… you tend to cling to me."

"That's because I like you," Elahe answered. "So, serving food? Can do!" She then used her magic to levitate many of the plates.

"As thankful as I am, I don't think I deserve your 'like', Elahe," Caspar answered, placing the food on each of the plates. "I'm merely a human manservant from a minor noble house, you're a powerful genie girl who, as far as I know, can easily outlive me 100 times over."

"...True," Elahe said. "But I've heard stories about genies who 'get back out there' after their lover passes. We all know Lady Janiya's older sister is more likely than not going to be outlived by her own husband-to-be. And guess what, she's okay with that."

"...Well, she and I aren't really that different," Caspar said. "I don't mind the fact that you'd outlive me, but part of the problem is that I don't know if YOU are ready for that inevitability. However, the real problem is… well, do you know the man who you're constantly flirting with?"

"You're forgetting how we met, right?" Elahe asked. "You found me after those Thieves Guild thugs had shot me in the leg off my carpet, and tried to bind me. You managed to get me away and stop them from even taking my blood. You stitched me up, and dragged me into Bagedzi, where you treated me for three days. I would have been either a slave or dead without you. As a genie, I at least owe you a wish… if not my life, my body, or something."

"You never asked why I was in the desert that day," Caspar muttered. Aloud, he requested, "Please don't worry about it, Elahe. Furthermore, do not think of yourself as some type of trophy or… well, you are quite beautiful, but I would like to consider myself a tad more honorable than to think a maiden owes me her innocence because I rescued her from a dark scenario. I don't want people of the camp getting the wrong idea about me."

"Okay," Elahe said, floating the plates to the door of the galley. "But Caspar… I can tell you're hiding something. You should talk about it. Sooner or later, secrets are gonna come out. I don't want you getting hurt, is all." With that, Elahe walked out, taking all but two of the plates.

"Well, maybe someday," the servant said, grabbing the last two. "But not today, I think." He then followed her out.

 _ **Caspar and Elahe have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Rosetta found her sister cleaning her javelin. "Hey, Big Sis!" the pink haired pegasus knight beamed. "How are things?"

"...Could be better, honestly," Emerald sighed, looking at her sister. "I've taken the liberty of doing some inventory, and, well… we're strangely low on weapon maintenance equipment. Specifically the equipment YOU were supposed to obtain the last time you were sent shopping." Rosetta blinked.

"Oh pegasus feathers!" she gasped. Turning to her pegasus, she said, "Sorry." The horse whinnied. She then turned, and said, "Sorry! I forgot!"

"Just like how you forgot the emergency rope, the tent poles, and the map?"

"...Yes," Rosetta replied. "But I at least remembered the food!"

"But it didn't save us from being horribly lost, cold, and having to get Lady Yasmin out of that ditch too narrow for our pegasi. If not for Ria's near godly luck, we would have had to explain to King Darius WHY his daughter died from illness during that camping trip!"

"Yeah, we have to thank her for that," Rosetta said.

"Take this seriously!" Emerald yelled at her sister, throwing her lance down in frustration. "You aren't in the pegasus knight academy anymore, Rose! You're a royal retainer and bodyguard to the crown princess! Her life is supposed to be in your hands! You can't just rely on me or someone else to pick up your slack! If you don't grow up and start actually doing your job, you'll be fired, and I'll have to leave you behind like the load you are! Do you WANT to be separated!?" Rosetta flinched at the words, and Emerald gasped, realizing what she did. "...Gods, I'm sorry."

"...You don't have to blow up every single one of my screw-ups," Rosetta said. "I get it, I'm only here because you insisted to Lady Yasmin and King Darius to not split us up. If not for Mother and Father dying in Giuss, you wouldn't need to look after me."

"I didn't mean it like that," the green-haired pegasus knight replied. "Yes, you are a retainer because of me. There's no hiding that. There's also no hiding you have far more potential as a combatant than I ever did. But as a royal retainer, you are held to a higher standard than the average pegasus knight. No longer do you represent just yourself or me, but Princess Yasmin, the future of our kingdom. Any failure on your part is a failure on your liege's. That's why I'm so cross, and insist you take initiative in your duties."

Rosetta sighed. "I'm… I'm really sorry. I'll go get the maintenance equipment. In fact, double." She then got onto her pegasus, and said, "I'll be back, soon." She then flew away, but Emerald grimaced about what she did.

"...Mother and Father, I'm so sorry," Emerald said, picking her lance back up. "I just… I have so much frustration."

 _ **Emerald and Rosetta have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Ziba, wearing a light blue nightgown, whimpered as she walked through the halls. She was shivering, looking around. She then spotted a light coming from the galley. She then walked in, and spotted Janiya, dressed in a light blue tank top and a pair of shorts, dancing an elegant waltz with a holographic dancing partner. The princess seemed to smile, enjoying the dance, especially as she was dipped… and then spotted the upside-down variation of her little cousin.

"End simulation, end simulation!" Janiya called. Her astral plate then faded, and she, with no partner to support her, fell to the ground.

"So was that handsome hologram supposed to be Payam or Caspar?" Ziba asked, walking over to her cousin. She extended her hand, and Janiya grabbed it, pulling herself up.

"I will do whatever you want in exchange for never telling Benyamin or Milad that I practice dancing before going to bed," Janiya began.

"Are you kidding, I'm so glad we have something in common!" Ziba beamed. "I love dancing! Your secret's safe with me."

"...Okay, fine," Janiya said. Several minutes later, Janiya and Ziba were sitting across from each other, each holding a glass of milk. "Well, you're up, suddenly. I thought you retired early after that last battle, Ziba. What happened?" Ziba's joy flattened, and she looked down."

"...I had a bad dream," the little troubadour confessed. "I was aboard the _Aquarius."_

"What?" the princess asked.

"The name of the ship the Argelians had the night… Aunt Minoo was taken from us."

"Oh, trust me, my little cinnamon roll of a cousin," Janiya said, "I KNOW the _Aquarius._ I want that ship to burn, hopefully with Empress Chitra aboard it. What I'm asking, Ziba, is what happened?"

"I was wandering around the ship when… it happened," Ziba shivered. She nervously picked up her milk, and took a drink, but Janiya knew what she was talking about.

"The Widowing Massacre," Janiya frowned. She reached across the table, and hugged her little cousin, who was starting to tear up. "You're okay… none of those Argelian blades cut you…."

"Oh, I was fine," Ziba said. "But… no matter how quickly I ran or looked around, I couldn't find Aunt Minoo. And then… and then… I do find her. But it's too late… no matter how much I use my staff, she won't wake up." Ziba then let the floodgates open, and cried, "And then Mother and Father take her place! Aunt Minoo is dead because I couldn't heal her."

"Ziba," Janiya assured her. "What happened to Mother and the rest of the Orobian queens isn't your fault. You were only 11 when it happened. You were too young to go to the _Aquarius_ that night, and even if you were old enough, there was nothing you could have really done."

"...Maybe there is something I can do, now," Ziba whispered. The princess looked at the troubadour, who had wiped away her tears. "I… I want to go to Argelia."

"Whoa," Janiya said. "Um, Ziba… let ME be the one who pursues revenge against the Empress, because while Mother may have been your aunt, she was MY mother first. I don't want you having the blood on your hands if I can avoid it."

"No, not for that reason!" Ziba said. "...I just want to, Janiya. Not for revenge, or power, or something like that."

"You say that like you have a reason."

"I have one, but I don't know if you'll understand, right now," Ziba admitted. "I'm sorry, Janiya. But if and when you go to Argelia, I want to come with you!"

"It's alright, Ziba," Janiya said. She then said, "Hey… just an FYI. You're my favorite of my cousins. Don't tell Benny or Milad."

"Okay," Ziba smiled. "So… about the dancing. When did you start, and whom are you trying to show off for?"

"Oh, I've always danced with Mother," Janiya admitted. "As for 'whom'... if you're not gonna tell me why you're suddenly interested in Argelia, I'm not telling you who I'm interested in."

"So you DO have a romantic side to you!" Ziba giggled. Janiya sighed.

"Worth it to cheer you up," she whispered to herself.

 _ **Janiya and Ziba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Janiya sat across from Caspar, who took a sip from his cup. "So… what do you think?"

"A bit too sweet for my tastes," Caspar said, "but otherwise not bad, m'lady."

"What?" Janiya frowned. "Weird, I memorized the tea you usually prepare for me, Yasmin, and Mother…."

"And that's the thing," Caspar smirked. "That tea is sweet because I've noticed you, your older sister, and your mother all have a notorious sweet tooth. In fact, your mother's side all has the sweet tooth. But I have a strong preference for more bitter tea."

"Huh, never knew that," the princess said. "Anyway, Caspar, I owe you a great deal of thanks. Between me and Elahe, I know you have your hands full keeping us safe and putting up with our quirks. You're a good man."

"I know, m'lady, that I take very good care of you and Elahe. As your retainer, it is my duty to keep you safe and satisfied. As for Elahe, she and I have been good friends ever since we met."

"How did you two meet, again?" Janiya asked. "You took a brief leave of absence around a week before Elahe showed up to become my retainer with your father. Speaking of your father, Duke Manesh hasn't returned from his extended trip, yet, has he?"

"I'm afraid not," Caspar answered while Janiya took a sip of her tea. "He does a great deal of work that makes him hard to contact, but my mother has our lands under control."

"And it was your mother who taught you all of the techniques of a manservant, right?"

"She wanted me to be self-sufficient, and since we have for generations served the royal family in some form, it was the best idea." Suddenly, a sparrow flew in, and landed in front of Caspar. He sighed. "Um, Lady Janiya, I just remembered that I had a prior engagement that I need to address. I sincerely apologize, but I must leave. The tea was lovely."

"Alright," Janiya said, getting up. "I should get to training, anyay." She looked at the sparrow, and rubbed her on her chin, the sparrow chirping. She then said, "Take care, Caspar."

She then walked away, leaving the room. Caspar listened to the footsteps, making sure she was gone. He then walked to a corner of his room, placed it on his face, pulled out his own astral plate, and channeled his magic.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear the last time that I'm done with this," he said to the other person, deepening his voice. "I have patients to look out for, people to care about, and a war to help out with. I don't have time or ability to play 'vigilante'."

The other person, in a distorted voice, replied, **"One doesn't simply 'get out' of this life. At least, not easily. And certainly not without consequences. I suggest you don't fight it, and take up the mask, once more. Otherwise, what happens next will be on you."**

"I'm hardly afraid to suffer," Caspar replied. "My father taught me a few tricks on how to resist torture."

" **We won't waste time hurting you,"** the person said. **"But people who want 'out' always make the same mistake: they give themselves a reason to want out, which makes it easier to draw them back in. You gave yourself too many to choose from."** The astral plate then showed images of Janiya, Elahe, Yasmin, Ziba, Milad, Benyamin, Kamyar, Etti, Dastan, Payam, Emerald, Rosetta, Ria, and even Caspar's mother and father. **"One word. That is all it takes, more often than not, to send a man's card house of a life crumbling down. You think they're untouchable because royalty and their connections, but I too have connections. Connections more powerful than royalty. Should I start with the genie girl you're so chummy with? Or the princess you cherish? Maybe even that musician best friend of yours? With a single word from me, they would vanish off the face of Orobia in twenty-four hours. The next time you'd see them, it would be me showing you their torture."**

"Wait!" Caspar growled. "...Fine. You have me. Just leave them out of this. Who's the patient?"

" **I'm glad you asked. Bine ai revenit la cuib, vrăjitorul meu albastru."** Caspar stared at the astral plate, and sighed after the image he saw faded. He then walked to his closet, and frowned at the chirping of the sparrow. He sighed before walking into the closet.

 _ **Janiya and Caspar have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Janiya faced against a holographic version of an Argelian myrmidon, sword drawn. She charged at him, blocking his initial sword strike. She then quickly pivoted on her heel before swinging her sword, this time being blocked. She then flipped back and let him charge her. She then sidestepped his thrust, knocked his sword downwards before quickly bringing her sword across the hologram's neck, a nice, clean swing. She let him fade away, and smirked.

"Again," she said, looking at her astral plate nearby.

Watching from the corner Saiduq observed silently for a bit before shaking his head with a visible frown. Walking over he spun a practice spear several times before standing in front of the princess his spear now held in a resting position pointing upwards in the same area that Janiya once was in during her jump, a serious expression on his face as he spoke. "Not bad Princess Janiya."

"Commander," Janiya nodded. "Wasn't expecting to see you—"

"However, you are too flashy with your movements and you waste energy that could be used better. This is war, not a ballet competition." Janiya blushed.

"How did you know I liked dancing?" the princess questioned. "Ugh… never mind! Explain."

"Jumping around like that leaves you open to thrusts from below with no momentum to avoid mid-air. If you must evade, do so with marginal precision while staying grounded. Mid-air dodges are only good at making yourself a bigger target for spearmen and archers." He then walked several paces away from Janiya and held his spear casually as he pointed at Janiya with a casual smile on his face. "Now, try and attack me. Waste no movements and aim to kill. We're going to fine-tune your style Princess."

Janiya placed her left hand on her hip, and said, "You're sure about that, Commander? I don't want to hurt you."

Saiduq frowned as he swiftly moved in front of Janiya in one quick rush, his practice spear pointed down at her feet before sweeping her onto the ground roughly, his expression not that of the usual easy-going commander but rather of a strict instructor. "If I was weak enough to get so much as scratched by you this early Princess, then I wouldn't be worthy of the title of the White Sand Devil to begin with. Now pay attention to your footwork!"

"Argh… okay, didn't see that coming!" Janiya scowled. She rolled back onto her feet, gripped her sword, and said, "Alright, Commander! This time, I won't be caught so easily off guard"

Saiduq frowned at her stance and grip and shook his head, swiftly sidestepping past her, his spear lashed out at her sword arm, forcing her grip off balance and then pointing the tip of the training spear at her throat. "If you have time to talk to your enemy about how you won't lose focus, you have time to correct any errors in your stance! While you were rolling around and trying to hold your blade, any professional Argelian would have had you dead thrice by now! Again! This time without flapping your gums!"

Janiya frowned, and sighed, backing up to grip her sword. She then initiated the battle this time, swinging her sword, only to be intercepted by Saiduq's spear. She then quickly broke off the clash to swing from the other side, but she was just as quickly intercepted. Janiya then backed up, and barely blocked the captain's thrust, pushing the spear to the side enough to get some room and leapt off the ground… only for Saiduq to quickly catch her and slam her into the ground. When Janiya recovered from that, she found herself facing the tip of his spear.

"...I know, I leapt," the princess sighed. "Damn it."

Saiduq's expression softened as he shook his head at the young princess, placing his spear down and extending a hand to the princess. "If you know, then fix it. This is a war Princess. It doesn't matter how flashy your moves are, nobody will be impressed by a corpse of someone who thought that aesthetics was more important than proper technique. For now, however, let's take a break Princess."

Janiya took his hand, and said, "Well, I'm going to feel all of that, later. Was your previous mentor like that?"

Saiduq chuckled and nodded his head. "Indeed. As you likely know, the House of Il-Hazaad is more known for our skills in warfare than our skills at politicking. My father the late lord Hussain Il-Hazaad had torn me apart before building me up as a proper soldier to lead the House as the next head. Were it not for that training I wouldn't be half the soldier I am, and so during this war your father instructed me to keep an eye on you and train you properly to defend yourself Princess."

"I know," Janiya said. She then walked over to a pitcher of water, and said while pouring, "So, it may be the bruises talking, but I realize this is probably the most I have EVER gotten out of you, Commander. Why don't you talk about yourself more often?" She offered him a cup.

Taking the cup and nodding to the princess he stared into the clear liquid before speaking. "Hmph. Perhaps this is indeed the most I have spoken about myself. My job, as was the job of my forefathers, is to be the sword and shield for the royal family, Princess. There's hardly anything interesting of note about the personal life of a soldier like myself."

Janiya took a drink from her own cup. She then said, "When someone usually says, 'There's hardly anything', there may usually be something. But something tells me I'll have to improve a LOT before I can get more."

Saiduq merely chuckled and shook his head. "Unfortunately, Princess, I truly have no fascinating stories for you about myself or House Il-Hazaad. But you are correct that you have a long ways to go training wise. If you'll excuse me though Princess." Downing the glass of water in one go and then bowing to Janiya the commander then stood upright and walked away, keen on steering clear on the subject of his house and heading in the direction of the regular barracks.

 _ **Janiya and Saiduq have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: First off, special thanks to LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green for his help with Saiduq's supports. Yes, we collaborated and wrote them in an RP narrative fashion. Am I willing to do this again with anyone else's supports? Heck yeah! If you want to help cowrite a support between one of your characters and one of mine, please PM me about the specifics, and we'll see what we can do. If the character in question belongs to another character, I'll get you in contact with that person, and let you two work it out, and then send me the link to the character at my Gmail account (which is the same as my Yahoo, sonicsouls92, but at Gmail, not Yahoo). If you want to write supports between your own characters, feel free to do so, but please send me the link.

Second, if some of Janiya's supports (save for Yasmin) seem a bit odd, it's because... I'm doing something different with the expected (at this point) Paralogue levels instead of giving you Child Units (I am NOT doing that, because I can't justify it). Some of the people the lords will support with will have some sort of personal affair they will need sorted out. If this sounds familiar to anyone who has ever played or seen _Mass Effect 2,_ then yes:

I'm making the Paralogues Loyalty Missions.

 _ **CLICK-CLICK.**_

Well, that's a lot of guns. Let me explain.

Again, I cannot, for the life of me, justify introducing second generation units in any way, shape, or form in _Night of Tales._ There's not going to be a _Genealogy-_ inspired time skip that is the result of Howe vastly overestimating using military might to solve his problems, Sulaiman's evil side taking over, Janiya losing the war, or Tawni being captured and tortured to death by Mawdood over the Fire Emblem. There's not a bad future that needs undoing. And there's not going to be people unable to control their hormones, making babies, and putting them in pocket dimensions that rapidly age them with serious Mommy and Daddy issues. Having said that, there really shouldn't be any need for Paralogues, which I find to be side quests that you don't HAVE to complete to complete the game (but do anyway because I happen to like shipping units... *quickly hides his Female CorrinXKaze fanfiction drafts*), and some serious stat-oriented players will spend hours meticulously planning their pairings to produce the best second-generation units.

So why include them at all? Answer: come Act 1 (or should I just call it Act 2 at this point), while the "lords" will maintain their focus, a lot of their allies will slowly go out of focus... like usual for a _Fire Emblem_ game. These loyalty missions will remind people that their allies exist, they have lives outside of their lords, and there WILL be consequences for failable loyalty Paralogues.

Third, and last, I like character development. With these supports, it allows me to develop the characters in ways you wouldn't have expected. Be honest, how many people expected on top of Janiya insisting on being an action girl to make up for past crybaby and ill girl tendencies, she liked to dance in her spare time, as well as Caspar having an entire life Janiya and Elahe (the former being his liege and the latter having an obvious crush on him) know next to nothing about? You'll see that and more.

Alright, for real, next time, it's going to be Sulaiman. Farewell, subjects!


	16. Sulaiman Ch 4: Poswa's Small & Mighty

A/N: Previously, on _Fire Emblem: Night of Tales:_ Supports. Oh, and Janiya defeated a group of rogue young genies awed by Sizah's might, and members of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, but spared the former at the pleading of her retainer Elahe, much to the protests of a group of traveling manaketes who have been suffering a string of bad luck.

But previously on Sulaiman's tale, Sulaiman has found out his wedding plans are now in serious danger since Duke Zahar is willing to exploit loopholes in Poswali politics just to kill or impede him in the false belief that Sulaiman plans on using Cruibia to steal Poswa's throne.

Previously in real life that you care about, _Fire Emblem: Three Houses_ was announced at E3. Of course, that was a month ago, but still, now we know Spring 2019 will have _Fire Emblem._

Previously in MY life, my puppy had been neutered and had his hind dewclaws removed (the latter being the thing that bothers him more), I've been job hunting, and I had to work out a lot of kinks, and even then I'm not proud of this chapter.

Alright, I'm done delaying. Let's get started.

* * *

 _Summary: Sulaiman, having survived Duke Zahar's ghoul ambush, realizes that he will not have an easy journey to Cruibia for the wedding as long as his approval rating is low. In order to better himself, Sulaiman attempts to reconnect with his people before leaving on his next stop. He then decides to assist them in both repairing their town... and then defending it._

* * *

 **Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 4: "Poswa's Small and Mighty"**

* * *

 **City of Kashab, Duke's Castle—Two Days after the Battle Outside of Al Bajilif**

" _It seems Al Bajilif still stands, Duke,"_ Cantara said. " _No report of Prince Sulaiman dead. Whatever you did clearly failed."_

"So he IS still alive," Zahar frowned. "Damn it. I should have known better than to rely on ghouls to fight a genie-blooded prince. Ah, well… not even he could get out of that attack unscathed. Surely he'll at least be slowed down. That will give me time to think of a strategy."

" _With all due respect, Duke Zahar,"_ Cantara said, " _have you considered for even a moment that Prince Sulaiman has genuinely good intentions for this wedding and is thinking of Poswa's future?"_

"Oh, he's no doubt thinking of Poswa's future," Zahar said. "One under Cruibian rule… and Cruibia under him." Pacing in his office, he said, "Why didn't you move to strike him down if you knew his status?"

" _I told you before,"_ Cantara said, " _I SERVE the royal family, not kill them. If I made a single move against Prince Sulaiman, my betrayal would be exposed certain, and even if he didn't kill me on the spot there, I would be executed. I like living."_

"I thought you loved your brother," Zahar said. "In case there's something you don't understand, wyvern knight, let me be clear: I've convinced the court of Kashab to hold on their ruling in your brother's trial in exchange for your assistance in thwarting any and all plans Prince Sulaiman has to betray and destroy Poswa as we know it. I have more than upheld my end of the bargain, but the only way I will be able to grant a full pardon is if someone else is dead in his place. That someone, of course, being Prince Sulaiman, who I can have take the blame for ordering the attack on that farm when I 'uncover' his plot. If he gets to the border of Poswa and Cruibia, Poswa loses because by the time Sultan Mecca realizes his son's intentions, it will be too late to prevent warfare between Poswa and Cruibia at best, and us all speaking Cruibian at worst. And if that happens, well, I will be too distracted to sign the pardon, and your brother will lose his head." At Cantara's eyes widening, he said, "Next time, little wyvern, that an opportunity presents itself, I expect you to comply. Otherwise, well… I'll need something else."

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

"...We'll discuss this, later," the duke said. He turned to his mage, and the mage cut off the magic going into the Astral Plate. He then said, "Come in." The door was thrown open, and a pair of young men walked in. One was a brown haired man, his hair in a short but wild ponytail, with a thin mustache, wearing thick red and brown armor. The younger and shorter of the men had black hair, neatly combed, and was wearing lighter armor. "Oh, boys. I thought I told you not to interrupt me during my business calls. Especially you, Khaled."

"Father," the younger of the men said. "Did you hear that Prince Sulaiman had left Tanuhah?"

"Yes," Zahar frowned. "Under the care of night before I could prepare our challenge. And no, Khaled, you wouldn't be my champion. Care to enlighten me with more information I already know, foolish boy?" Khaled flinched, but held his tongue. "That's what I thought." Turning to the other, he asked, "And what of you, Zaid?"

"Just an update on the situation in Rusnad," Zaid said, holding a set of papers. "Remember those gypsies that Khaled had chased through our defenses, including the beautiful and sharp-witted blue-haired girl?"

"Oh, you were entranced by her, big brother," the black-haired Khaled said. "You had her in your clutches, and you could have made her your plaything, or let ME show you how to break her! But no! You had to be the gentleman, didn't you!? You decided to be nice when she enwrapped you in those stories, and you let yourself be distracted long enough for her fellow gypsy vermin to slip her free of you!" He was then shot a look.

"Don't interrupt me," Zaid scowled, albeit with a blush on his face. "And don't fluff the details!" Turning back to their father, he said, "Anyway, it turns out those gypsies are good fighters. They've been giving the Argelians a good licking or two, much to the relief of the Rusnadi army. Anyway, we've been building up our defenses, so the border should be ready."

"So we're good against external forces in the north," Zahar said. "I'm proud of you getting past your previous failings, Zaid. That's what I expect from the future of House Botros." Khaled scowled at the two, but it went unnoticed. By the time his father turned back to him, Khaled's scowl had disappeared. "Anyway, Khaled, about your genie you had…."

"You've found her?" Khaled asked. "Good. I owe her a considerable… punishment for leaving. Where is she? I hope you've chained her up, this time!"

"Actually, I had to sacrifice her for the good of Poswa."

"...What."

"You heard me," Zahar replied. "She may have been a beautiful, exotic treat, but it doesn't change the fact that she was a pawn I could use. That's why I used her. I'm afraid she's most likely dead, and Prince Sulaiman is the one to blame."

"That damn younger prince… he took my prize from me!?" Khaled growled. "Father, give me a chance and the best of our men! I can destroy him with ease!"

"And waste my finest soldiers and our one chance to challenge the Sultan's decision on your inevitably incompetent leadership?" Zahar asked. "No, I'd rather play the indirect game until I'm certain we've stamped out the silly idea that the north is impenetrable. Then, Zaid will lead the strike against Prince Sulaiman."

"Prince Sulaiman?" Zaid questioned. "Father, don't tell me the reason you sacrificed that secret slave Khaled had was to kill him? I already was against having her here in the first place because you two have violated enough of Poswa's laws in secret to ruin us! If word gets back to Tanuhah Castle… you'd condemn our house! We would be the next Hoseins! We wouldn't survive in Giuss! Who'd protect Poswa if we fell due to your paranoia?"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't realize why Father acts, brother!" Khaled said. "You can't trust second-born princes! Just look at the incompetence of Sultan Gizeh mishandling his second son Aseel! He didn't smother him in his crib! And Aseel himself ravaged not just Poswa, but all of Orobia! But now, this is personal, since he killed my slave! I will draw just enough blood of his to leave him barely alive, and then brand him and turn him into my new torture doll until I get bored of him!"

"You must control your ruthlessness, brother," Zaid advised. "You're lucky nobody connected the genie girl to us, anyway, so if she's dead, she can't testify against you for breaking the law against slavery here in Poswa." Turning to Zahar while Khaled glowered, he insisted, "Father, it's time to end this feud you have with Prince Sulaiman for everyone's sake. It's bad enough you've constantly antagonized the Nejems, and Crown Prince Aladdin himself has supported his brother's marriage to Princess Yasmin of Cruibia. He gives up the Poswali throne by doing this, it's done. Even if he's a spare and he's secretly evil, Prince Sulaiman acted in self-defense to deal with the genie you sent after him. He's about to be Cruibia's problem, and there's no way Cruibia will be able to support a war against Poswa right now. I suggest we leave 'well-enough' alone, and be ready for the Argelians, the real problem."

"Son," Zahar countered, "I'm proud you've studied our Argelian enemies, but your focus on foreign threats leaves you slightly open to domestic ones. As long as a second-born Poswali prince is still alive, they have a chance to influence the world. For better… or usually, for worse. Sulaiman has to have some secret plan, some weakness to exploit. We need to find it, and destroy him… before it's too late to save the homeland we love."

* * *

 **Town of Al Bajilif, Inn**

Sulaiman watched as Lamia wrapped the last of the bandages around his arm. "...Thank you," Sulaiman said, clenching his hand into a fist to test it. Ebony landed on his arm, making him flinch. "Ebony…." The hawk let go and landed on the nearby desk.

"I would strongly advise not using your bow for a little bit, m'lord," Lamia suggested. Sulaiman nodded he reapplied his armored glove. The two leapt back from each other when Sakaki appeared next to them.

The half-crow asked, "So… how do we go about improving your relationship with the people, m'lord?"

"Well, that's the million-gold coin question, isn't it?" Sulaiman sighed, sitting back while the rest of his crew watched on. Lamia channeled her magic, and opened a large image on her own astral plate. It showed a chart, which was labeled in Orobian, "Noble Approval Ratings". It showed that Sulaiman's approval was at approximately 24%... which was tiny compared to Aladdin's 89% approval, Zahar's 57% approval, and Mecca's 64%.

"Okay, why are we looking at a graph detailing the current popularity of a few major nobles?" Nail said. "Nobody said we'd be doing math and social studies on this adventure."

"Oh, so you know math," Idris said.

"Just because I grew up a commoner in a country where the easiest way to make a killing is by joining the army doesn't mean I'm a muscle-headed idiot," Nail said. "We have good public education in Poswa. I just like to get to the meat of the matter and swing my axe."

"Mother and Father both advocated for it," Sulaiman chimed in.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and m'lord," Lamia explained to the gathered group, interrupting the conversation, "as you all can see, we have a bit of a serious problem. Due to the combined facts that Prince Sulaiman is a second-born prince in a country that does not really well-support second-born noble children very well, House Botros' powerful influence as a major noble house, how controversial our goal of getting Prince Sulaiman married to Princess Yasmin of Cruibia is to those who remember Aseel's War pitting Poswa and Cruibia against each other, and House Nejem's slight decrease in popularity since the inward withdrawal after the Widowing Massacre, mostly because Sultan Meccah has had far too many personal losses in one lifetime for a man to go through, Prince Sulaiman's approval rating is quite low in Poswa. To put it simply, this low approval rating is going to cause even more issues for us and the marriage we're trying to see through, which will prevent the treaty uniting Poswa and Cruibia against Argelia from coming to fruition. If that happens, we may as well surrender now, and hope the Argelian Empire shows mercy when they add Orobia to their territory."

"So the fate of Poswa, if not all of Orobia, depends on our man here getting hitched to a Cruibian woman, but public opinion may interfere with that because my ex-boss thinks my current boss will use Cruibia to take over Poswa after Argelia is defeated or vise versa," Nail summarized. "And he'd rather speak Argelian than Cruibian if it means stopping this wedding."

"Oh thank gods, that was long and confusing," Rafi sighed.

"Amen," Duaa agreed.

"I'll say," Ulfah nodded, rubbing her head. "Rawiya and Thesin are both smarter than me."

"The fact that I, the hired thug from out of Tanuhah, understood that better than the magic-studying nephew of the vizier and an actual trained royal knight kind of worries me," the barbarian frowned. Nail then asked, "Why does it always have to be so wordy with you, Lamia?"

"Because I admit, I am a very linguistic woman," Lamia answered. "I apologize, Nail, if my vernacular makes me come across as unnecessarily complex."

"So, time to chop to the meat of the problem: what the hell are we supposed to do about this situation?" Nail inquired. "We can't just walk up to every random Poswali citizen with fliers, and say, 'Vote "Yes" to Prince Sulaiman putting a baby in Princess Yasmin of Cruibia on a coffee table! It'll save Orobia! It makes sense, trust us'! Heck, even if we replaced 'Yasmin', with you, Lamia, or even put you on the ballot alongside Princess Yasmin, it probably wouldn't work."

"No, we can't do that," Sulaiman bluntly replied for a flushing Lamia. "Even if this nation was a democracy like Giuss, I refuse to put my marriage to a vote. Who would even do that?"

Idris said, "Well, if I may be so bold, m'lord, I think Lady Yasmin has expressed some interest in you AND Lamia both…."

Sakaki interrupted, "The real problem, here, ladies and gentlemen, is that due to the incident yesterday, we all suspect that Duke Zahar had decided to start making his move against Prince Sulaiman, but has not issued a direct challenge, which will easily be seconded at this point. We need almost as high of an approval rating as Duke Zahar, if not more, to make people think twice about this to get Duke Zahar to back off. So, we need to generate a good PR campaign."

"Well, what about Tanuhah?" Barack asked. "As the capital of the kingdom, someone going there and trying to generate approval will earn us some support."

Sulaiman shook his head, "Most commoners in Tanuhah seem to follow popular opinion. This is sort-of my first outing without either Father, Mother, Aladdin, or the royal guard when they're willing or ordered to watch out for me. But we all know no movement or decision is successful without the people's backing. Or at least, it's short-lived. Even if going back to Tanuhah is the right decision, Sir Barack, I've already left the city on my pilgrimage. It says something if I run back to father not even a week after starting with my tail between my legs. My image does NOT need the addendum of being a coward prince too afraid of bullies like House Botros to get married to the woman he loves." Looking at the rest of his crew, he asked, "Any suggestions from anyone here who ISN'T either a noble or a knight?"

"Why are we doing this, again?" Rafi asked. "I mean, trying to do this PR thing. With all due respect, Lord Sulaiman, I thought the goal was to get you to your wedding."

"Yeah, I kind of wanted to meet Princess Yasmin," Duaa added.

"I realize that I have gods know how many enemies," Sulaiman replied. "Many enemies who don't think this wedding is good for Poswa, even when presented evidence to the contrary. The thing is, Poswa and Cruibia have two of the strongest armies on Orobia. But our nations still have some bad blood since my great uncle's manipulations cost them their previous king and queen. It took Mother and her friends joining the hands of Father and King Darius, my bethrothed's father, to end the war. But now, we're at war against an empire we can't defeat by ourselves."

"Of course, old habits like tradition die hard," Lamia added, walking forward. "Not a lot of nobles are fully convinced that a full treaty and alliance between Poswa and Cruibia, especially one bound by marriage, would be in their best interests. Especially because it's a spare prince leading this marriage, since any children produced by it will have a claim to not just Cruibia's throne, but Poswa's. And they support Duke Zahar's ideals. In order to alleviate these fears and force the nobility and the commoners to accept this change, we're thinking to get the common people to approve of Prince Sulaiman. If they do, the nobles, in order to help keep their their relationships to the people alive, will have to accept the younger prince. So we need to get the people on our side. If we generate at least the same level of approval Duke Zahar has in Prince Sulaiman, we'll have a genuine shot getting to Turami and in the safety of my father's army."

"Well," Ulfah mused, "the way I see it, a lot of that last battle we were in could have been reasonably avoided if the folks in charge were paying attention about bound genie slaves being smuggled into Poswa. But ya helped out when you didn't have to. I have to thank ya, again, for rescuing Thesin, but she would have been safer if someone higher up knew about this. We need your eyes open, from now on."

"...I appreciate your honesty," Sulaiman said, although sad at the half-accusation. "And you're right. We didn't know about djinn slaves being smuggled here until your lover was nearly turned into a ghoul and you were almost forced to mercy kill her. There's probably a lot of things we of the royal family don't know because… we haven't paid too much attention to people since Mother passed away."

"...Well, I have an idea," Sakaki said. "We connect, once again. I think if you show people that the royal family STILL does look out for the commoners. Sultana Farah was certainly popular because of her origins as, despite being half-djinn, she was a common girl who rose up to power. If memory serves, she used to meet with commoners all of the time."

"And she did find a few fragments of the fabled Fire Emblem, if my talks with Princesses Yasmin and Janiya hold truth," Sulaiman recalled.

"One of which that the Argelians most likely now hold," Lamia frowned.

"But that's besides the point," Barack said. "The point is that Sultana Farah NEVER forgot her humble beginnings. You shouldn't forgot your mother came from nearly nothing, either, Prince Sulaiman."

"Well, let's keep an ear to the plights of the people," Sulaiman smiled. "Show them once again that the royal family cares about all of our people than just the nobles."

"I know where we need to go, then," Ulfah said with a smirk. "There's a village a bit of a ways out of here. I happen to know a gal, there."

"...Is it wrong I was going to say that?" Sakaki frowned. "I mean, we were going to go to a small village, anyway."

"Slightly southwest of here?" Ulfah asked.

"Yep," Sakaki smirked.

"Good. Let me just check in with Thesin's healers, get a present together, and I'll be ready to go."

"Will the town be okay without you leading its militia?" Sulaiman asked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ulfah said. "Besides, I never was part of the militia. In fact, I'm from the same village we're about to go to. Thesin and I came here for a bit of a vacation."

"Well, it's settled then," Idris smirked. "Let's get to that village. How far out is it?"

"About a couple hours from here on foot," Ulfah said. "Meet you guys at the gate!" She then left the room.

"She's an interesting one," Idris smirked.

* * *

 **Menourish Village, Farmland—Afternoon**

Sulaiman's group found Menourish Village easy enough after Sulaiman bought Lamia a Mend Staff, and Ulfah finally said farewell to her girlfriend… who was currently in a coma. The healers confirmed what Sulaiman told Ulfah yesterday, that Thesin, due to how close she was to becoming a ghoul when she was rebound to the locket, was a lot weaker than she was before, but she'd pull through. Sulaiman, rather than risk Thesin fall into someone dangerous' hands, gave Ulfah back her locket, and Ulfah only made one wish so far:

For Thesin to be awake when she got back.

After that, the hike to Menourish was uneventful, much to the disappointment of Nail and Duaa, who seemed to have hit it off quite well, since the former was a streetwise barbarian, the latter was a eager knight, and both of them loved a good scrap. There was also Ebony taking off to hunt again, but that was the hawk.

However, once there, the group save for Barack (who used to be a knight captain in his youth) and Ulfah was surprised to find the land so… so green. There was an oasis nearby, and the lands were fertile and ripe for farming.

"How is it that we've known about this place," Lamia asked for the group, "but nobody told us how full of life it was?"

"Because we hardly have reason to visit Menourish," Sulaiman said. "This is my first time ever being here, myself, Lamia."

"So, where's this friend of yours who'd be of help to us?" Barack asked their unofficial guide.

"Good question," Ulfah said. "Rawiya? Where are ya, girl?"

"Ulfah?" a male voice asked. The group looked to see an older man, almost Barack's age, with grayed brown hair, and brown eyes, wearing a dirty brown shirt and green vest over it and brown pants. He then said, "Where have you… oh my gods." He then bowed. "Prince Sulaiman Nejem… in my town? And Sir Barack, too!"

"You know me?" he asked the man. "And Sir Barack?"

"Yes I do!" the man said. "Barack trained me a few decades ago."

"Wait… I recognize you," Barack said. "Zayn? Is that you?"

"Glad to see ya, Sir Barack!" the old man smirked.

"Prince Sulaiman," Ulfah smiled, "this is Zayn, owner of the Menourish Farms… and Rawiya's father. Trained her himself in lance combat."

"Why didn't you tell me one of your old students lived out here, Sir Barack?" Sulaiman smiled, extending his hand to the older villager, who shook it.

"It never occured to me I'd ever see him again, m'lord," Barack said. "In fact, if not for Sakaki's planned route, we probably wouldn't have seen him."

"Planned route?" Zayn asked. "Are you all going somewhere?"

"We're trying to get to Turami… but we plan to stay here for a brief while," Lamia answered. "Also, we heard from Ulfah here that your daughter could help us with a particular problem."

"Rawiya?" Zayn asked. "What for, if I may ask?"

"It's nothing horrible, I swear," Sulaiman assured him. "Well, that is, unless you think finding a way for a young royal to reconnect with his people to be a bad thing."

"Oh, thank the gods," Zayn sighed. "For a second there, I thought you planned to hurt my daughter."

"No," Sulaiman assured him. "Still, you wouldn't happen to have any ideas, would you?"

"Well, that depends," Zayn replied. "How about some honest work with us?" Sulaiman, Lamia, Rafi, and Duaa all looked at each other.

"Hey!" Ulfah said. "There she is!"

The group looked in a small wheat field, and spotted the brown-haired girl from Ulfah's locket. She was humming while twirling through the field, holding a lance, particularly a Xuhuan iron naginata. She sliced down small stalks of wheat in an almost amazing dance, enjoying herself. When she was done, she began gathering the wheat up. Sulaiman briefly stared before shaking his head, and looking at Zayn and Ulfah.

"Oh, her mom was Xuhuan," Zayn said.

"What happened to your wife?" Sulaiman asked.

"Unfortunately, Jin had a bit of a nasty Xuhuan-originated fever during the time the Thieves Guild ran through here about eight years ago," Zayn replied with a frown. "I managed to save her from the guild, but by the time I did, she was too sick."

"Gods," Sulaiman frowned. "...I should apologize for your loss."

"Don't blame yourself," Zayn assured him. "It wasn't you who ordered her kidnapping, and it certainly wasn't you who could have helped. You royals weren't out here in the sticks." Meanwhile, both men noticed Ulfah missing. "Um… where's Ulfah?" Suddenly, Ulfah jumped out of the next field of wheat that Rawiya was walking to, and glomped her, knocking the basket and the lance out of Rawiya's hands.

"Ulfah!" Rawiya giggled, pushing her friend off. "Glad to see ya, girl? Wait… where's Thesin? I thought ya'll were havin' a date…."

"We were," Ulfah replied. "But Thesin's… in a bad way, right now. I'll tell ya about it, later. But right now? You have guests." She then pointed to Sulaiman and his group, and Rawiya gasped before scrambling to a knee.

"Oh Rerci! Prince Sulaiman!" Rawiya greeted. "It's a real honor meeting you!"

"Wow… you don't mind my status as a second-born prince?" Sulaiman asked while she got up and dusted herself off.

"N-Not at all!" the village girl answered before going to her wheat and beginning to gather it back up. "We ought to judge by action, not by silly rumors! Sure, Prince Aseel may have been a nasty piece of work, but that's just one bad apple. We don't get too many nobles out here, though. What brings ya to my village, if I may be so bold, m'lord?"

"Well, we planned to be passing through on our way to the border to Cruibia, but… I want to try to reconnect before we leave to Cruibia," Sulaiman replied. "You don't mind if we help out here, do you?" Lamia and Barack blinked in shock, Sakaki and Ulfah shared a half-expected glance, Duaa and Nail both smirked, Rafi, and Idris gapped.

"Really?" Rawiya asked. She turned to her father, and asked, "Father, can we please have them help around town?"

Zayn sighed. "Lord Sulaiman, you just made my daughter's day," he said. "That may not have been your best idea, but we'll put ya to work." Looking at Barack, he added, "Consider it payback for all that hard training ya put me through."

Barack smirked, "Well, I hope you really learned the value of hard work. Come on, everyone. We have some things we need to do." As he was leading most of the group after Rawiya, Sulaiman almost went to follow them… only to spot a dark figure standing in the middle of the wheatfield. "M'lord?" Barack asked, shaking Sulaiman out of his reverie.

"Sorry, Sir Barack," Sulaiman apologized. "I'm coming!" He then ran after them, leaving the shadow to frown before dispersing.

* * *

 **One Week of Hard Labor Later**

Sulaiman looked at how exhausted half of his group was after fixing the last fence. "...I'm sorry," he said to them. "But we've helped out this town a LOT."

"Oh, that's not my problem, m'lord," Lamia sighed. "Your generosity certainly helps reconnect you and your family to the people, but… it's a lot of physical labor I never thought I'd do. I'm much weaker in terms of physical strength than you since I've devoted myself to healing magic."

"And it was a lot of tasks," Sakaki sighed. "I know I was trained young to do hard tasks, but… I only have so much stamina, Prince."

"I just really am drained, m'lord," Rafi simply said.

"Welcome to the simple life we common folk have," Ulfah smirked.

"We'll rest up, soon, and then head out after breakfast," Sulaiman promised them. He then spotted Rawiya walking over from the fields. "Rawiya, I think we're about done."

"Really?" the farm girl asked. She looked at the fence. "Well, I'll be. Who knew you royals had it in you?"

"Father and Mother instilled in me and my older brother a strong work ethic," Sulaiman said. "Aladdin would have had this all taken care of much faster than me."

"I don't know, m'lord," Rawiya said. "The last time there were brigands that came here, they busted up the town real bad."

"Wait, brigands?" Sulaiman questioned. "And the last time? When was this?"

Rawiya blushed, and admitted, "Oh, um, probably should have mentioned that. About a few months ago, some Roma traveled through here, said they were preparin' for a wedding between two nobles from different countries. I guess it was YOUR wedding, Prince Sulaiman. A bunch of brigands ambushed them alongside a few manaketes, and the town was damaged really bad. The gypsies escaped, and then headed north, but not before they left us with a bit of money to repair some buildings. There was a man named 'Guaril', I think, leading them with his wife 'Akiba' and his daughter, 'Tawni'. Tawni seemed to have a highly spiritual air around her, and she did some… bizarre things, according to people who saw the battle. I wasn't there, though... I had a delivery."

"Roma?" Rafi asked. "You mean… gypsies?"

"Technically, the term 'gypsy' is a sort of derogatory slang for the Romani people," Sulaiman said. "But they're not as offended by it as some genies being called 'lamp-slaves' or manaketes being called 'scaleskins'. Still, be polite. No doubt Yasmin wanted them at the wedding, and it DOES seem to answer the question of the identity of the Romani clan who tested House Botros' defenses."

"There's also the fact that this failed to reach your family's ears," Lamia said. Before the group could discuss it further, screams could be heard. "What was that?"

"Uh-oh," Ulfah breathed. "If I know that scream's location… we need to get to the town's gate!" The group followed the female explorer to the entrance of the town, where they saw a group of scared villagers looking on as a female orange-haired, tanned skin, and brown-eyed mercenary held her blade up to a village maiden. Said mercenary was flanked by several brigands.

"P-P-Please!" the maiden begged. "Don't hurt us! We're just humble village folk! We barely have enough to get by as it is!"

"Why is that the first thing people say?" the woman scoffed. "Look, I'm not here for your limited wealth. The rest of these thugs may be here to pillage, but I'm here hunting a different quarry." She unfolded a pair of bounty posters, each showing a different person. One was a man in his twenties with white hair, tanned skin, brown eyes with a long scar across the right, wearing a red ripped coat over a white shirt and a brown sash, blue trousers, and brown boots. The other was blue and black haired girl about 17 wearing a red, shoulderless blouse, long white skirt with a slit up the side to show off her legs, a red bandana in her hair, wearing a gold necklace with a purple gemstone. "The Thieves Guild has outstanding bounties on these two troublemakers: a Giussean sailor who's caused a great amount of havoc but recently has been marooned in Poswa, and a gypsy daughter of a master trickster that, according to my sources, passed through here a couple months back."

"I don't know any sailors!" the village maiden said. "We're a landlocked farming town! If you're looking for sailors, try Najiris Coast!"

The mercenary nodded, "It's understandable you haven't seen the sailor, he's probably a pirate trying to keep a low profile, but you need to tell me where the gypsy's gone. If you give me at least that, I'll only make sure these thugs only just take everything not nailed down in town. But if you're feeling too tight lipped for my taste, well, I'm not going to guarantee your PERSONAL safety."

"I-I-I haven't seen the Romani girl in months, honest!" the village maiden shivered. "She's probably gone north to Rusnad with the rest of her clan! If Duke Zahar of House Botros didn't capture them!"

"Right into the Argelians' hands?" the mercenary woman sighed, sheathing her sword. "Damn… I was honestly expecting a chance to cross blades with either Sirius Howe or Guaril Dighton. Looks like Mawdood or the Argelians are going to beat me to the punch for both of them." She sighed, and said, "Alright, we'll move along."

"Howe?" Sakaki asked in a whisper. "Wait… I know that name. That's the name of the privateer two wars back, m'lord! Novan Howe! He stopped Nobunaga's Siege! He's from my homeland, Giuss!"

"Oh, you're from Giuss?" Duaa asked. "I honestly thought you were Xuhuan, what with the Xuhuan you and Prince Sulaiman here speak to each other in every now and again."

"Way to bring everyone's attention to us, Duaa," Rafi said, pointing to the group of brigands who turned to her.

"Wait, did you just say 'Prince Sulaiman'?" the mercenary asked. She then put the two bounty posters away, and then pulled out a bunch of other papers. "Let's see here… Amari, Khoury, Maloof, Najjar… oh, here it is, Nejem. Hmm… Placing prices on someone's head must be a Hosein tradition. Either that, or they really don't like the Nejems."

"To be fair," Rafi said, "Poswa's long history of sultans have painted the Nejems as usurping the Hoseins during the Poswali Civil War several hundred years ago… and then Sultan Gilezh survived their coup attempt, and then banished them to Giuss. A lot of bad blood."

"Pot, kettle," Duaa frowned.

"What?" Rafi asked. "...Oh… sorry, m'lord."

The mercenary shrugged, "Oh well, more of a challenge for me." She placed her papers to the side, and said, "Change of plans, boys. We're not hunting gypsies or potential pirates. We have a political grudge to settle." She then drew her sword.

"How about we don't do that?" Sulaiman said, standing in front of the mercenary, and lowering her sword. "You seem like a reasonable woman, Miss… I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"Name's Tuhfa," the woman said, sheathing her sword once again.

"Tuhfa," Sulaiman said. "Look, I get it, you're a sellsword. But that 'political grudge' will NOT be settled by killing just me. House Hosein will want the whole family destroyed, not just one prince. However, you can't get to my father and brother in Tanuhah unless you plan to storm some nearly impenetrable gates."

"...Damn, I am REALLY getting denied my challenge, here," Tuhfa sighed. "I came to this continent to see if I'm the best warrior in the world, but I keep getting sidelined by circumstances like this."

"Um… Tuhfa," one of the brigands frowned, "if ya don't mind, we'd like to actually get to some pillaging." It was at this point, the brigands all armed themselves once more. "And besides, even if we don't have Howe or Dighton, we can still take the prince as a potential hostage."

"Not if I can help it!" Rawiya scowled, pulling out her lance. Rather than a typical villager's nervousness, she twirled her weapon with surprising confidence.

"You said it, Rawiya," Ulfah agreed, cracking her whip to the ground. The rest of Sulaiman's group prepared for the battle as well.

"Greedy idiots," Tuhfa sighed. "Well, princeling, I guess negotiations have broken down between our groups because these guys see a town, they want to pillage. Oh well, a good fight is always fun!" She then drew her sword. Sulaiman barely his older brother's gift in time to intercept her sword swing, initiating the fight.

"Don't let these thugs get in the village!" Rawiya called. A different mercenary spotted her, and tried to slash her, but the little villager surprised him by her quick dodge and quicker counter, slashing him in the chest. Sadly, the slash wasn't enough to kill him… but it left him open for a javelin toss from Duaa that did the job. A second mercenary that was approaching her was then grabbed by Sakaki.

" **We have you, Rawiya!"** the half-crow said before dragging the mercenary away. While Rawiya smiled at that, she had to yelp as an axe-wielding barbarian lunged at her, and she was barely able to get away from him. When she tried to stab him, her lance's tip was blocked by his axe's large frame, making him chuckle. However, that was short-lived, courtesy of Idris throwing one of his daggers into the man's shoulder. Before he could get to the rogue or the villager, Nail had gotten to him first with a throwing axe.

"Next one I'll get, I promise!" she said to Nail.

"Hold you to that, little girl," Nail said grabbing his iron axe. He then watched as Sulaiman was sent tumbling into the side of a fence, courtesy of Tuhfa. The prince quickly recalled his sword, and blocked Tuhfa's sword.

"Come on, princeling, don't tell me Orobian royals are weaklings!" Tuhfa frowned. "I didn't come all the way from Giuss to be barely given a challenge during my bounty hunting!"

"Sorry," Sulaiman said, getting back up. "Just studying the weak points of your style." Sulaiman blocked her next attack and countered with his own, activating his determination ability he used against Nail.

Sulaiman and Tuhfa kept their swords moving at a rather incredible rate. While Tuhfa was faster with her blade, seeing as she managed to get a few cuts on Sulaiman, the prince could take more of a beating than the average warrior, and pressed on the flaw in her fighting style, sword cuts soon adorning her lighter armor. Eventually, Tuhfa overextended one of her swings to parry a feint by Sulaiman, and he took advantage of that to knock her to the ground, and kick her sword away before pointing Orenmir at her.

Before he could land a killing blow, Sulaiman heard Lamia yelp, and turned to see her stumbling backwards, another mercenary having managed to get to her. He chuckled, raising his sword. Sulaiman summoned his bow, and tried to aim it, but was shaky since his arm was not fully healed… luckily, he didn't have to. Rawiya stabbed the mercenary before he could kill Sulaiman's retainer and best friend. Sulaiman took this opportunity to finally get over to the two of them, switching his iron bow for Taryn, and slashing down a barbarian with a tremendous quake slash.

"Are you girls alright?" Sulaiman asked Lamia, helping her up.

"Yes, m'lord," Lamia answered before healing him. "I'm glad you're alright, as well."

"Thank ya, Prince Sulaiman," Rawiya nodded. The group looked to see an arrow flying by them, and heard a gurgle before turning to see a rogue falling over, dead. They looked to see Ulfah smirking at them.

"Ya can be heartstruck later, Rawiya! Besides, the prince is about to be married!" Ulfah called. Rawiya blushed, and turned away to look at another rogue flying at her, launched by Duaa and Rafi blasting a final barbarian with Elfire. Rawiya twirled by the two, avoiding the magic, spotting them both still alive, and recovering. The two got up, and Rawiya quickly sliced down one with her lance, and ended the other with a quick stab.

The battle was over, and Sulaiman's group was panting in exhaustion, collapsing. Sulaiman himself pushed up off the ground, and looked at Tuhfa groaning in pain. "Well… that happened," the female mercenary frowned. "You're good, princeling. I guess I lose."

"You're… not mad about your bandit friends?" Sulaiman panted.

"Nah, I wasn't really close with those idiots," she said. "I only wanted to find a strong opponent. And I have one. Well, at least one more. Are you familiar with Princess Janiya Madani?"

Sulaiman blinked at the mention of his future sister-in-law. "You know Princess Janiya?"

"Yeah, I was in Cruibia for a little bit," Tufha frowned. The mercenary brushed her hair, and stood up, grabbing her sword. "I had snuck in, hearing that Adre and Etti, the last two founding members of the famous mercenary group from 30 years ago were in Cruibia. When I found them, I found Princess Janiya instead. She and I fought… and well, she defeated me."

"Did she now?" Sulaiman smirked. "...Yasmin must be very proud of her little sister."

"Yasmin?" Tufha asked. "That's a familiar tone. Wait… oh, I get it! You're the one she was waiting for, aren't you?"

"Yes," Sulaiman answered. "And she's willing to wait a bit longer. I have a few things I need to do throughout Poswa before I meet with her. Once I assure the people that I have good intentions, I can marry Yasmin without worry that they will try to ruin it."

"Throughout Poswa, huh?" Tufha said. She then brushed herself off. "Well then… sorry about all of this. I promise I'll steer clear of brigands. Take care until we meet again. And if you find that pirate before I do… save him for me." She then walked away. Sulaiman reached out to call her, but then lowered his hand.

"...Something tells me I might regret letting her go," he muttered. "But she's not looking to destroy or pillage for the heck of it."

"Wow," Rawiya breathed, looking around. "Prince Sulaiman, that… was… amazing!" She then dashed over, and bowed to him. "You're a miracle from Rerci, m'lord! You handled yourself so well against those brigands! Ya saved my town, too!"

"Careful, Rawiya, you're bouncing," Ulfah smirked.

"It was no problem," Sulaiman said. "You handled yourself pretty well, too, Rawiya. With a bit of extra training, you'd make a skilled fighter."

"Ya… Ya think so?" Rawiya asked.

"I know you have a lot of potential," Sulaiman smiled. "I'm not saying join the army… but I am saying you should train yourself in order to better protect what you care about."

"To better protect…" Rawiya repeated. "Prince Sulaiman: why do you fight? Do you want to protect people, too?"

The prince nodded. "Yes. As a member of House Nejem, I'm to protect Poswa as a whole, since the Nejems are the wardens of the southwest. But I have others I wish to keep safe: my family, my friends, and the woman I love, Princess Yasmin. Apart from the Argelians assassinating my mother, I have no hate for them. It hurt losing her, and the pain will probably never go away, but it's a dulled pain. I want to know what truly happened before I make my final judgement."

"...I can sense your resolve," the villager said. She then turned to her father, and asked, "Hey, Pa. When you were in the Poswali army when you were young, what made you do it?"

"I wanted to keep the people I cared about safe from the Cruibians who wanted revenge for the assassination of their king and queen," Zayn answered. "I didn't go to war looking for a fight. I went to make sure I could save as many lives as I could, Rawiya."

"...Maybe I could learn, then," Rawiya said. "Learn how to better apply myself as a protector. And get peace back." She then looked at her father, and asked, "Pa, can I… can I go with Prince Sulaiman and Ulfah?" While Ulfah beamed, Zayn and Sulaiman looked at each other, and then at her.

"You want to come with me?" Sulaiman asked, pointing at himself. "I must warn you, I walk a very dangerous path. And I'm not talking just the Argelians. I have domestic enemies, as well."

"I know," Rawiya said. "But your path is the path to peace in the world. We need to stop this war."

"I'm glad you've gotten your resolve," Ulfah smirked. "So, Mr. Zayn, can we bring her along?"

"...I don't see why not," Zayn smirked. Rawiya lit up. "Now, ya listen to Sir Barack, young lady."

"From one villager to another," Barack chuckled. "I'll shape her very well, Zayn."

"And Prince Sulaiman, keep her safe, will ya?"

"I will," Sulaiman nodded. "We should probably restock and see what we can fix before we leave, though. It's still a long journey ahead of us. Right, Sakaki?"

"Right, Prince," Sakaki said. "It will take a bit of reorganizing, but we'll do it." Sulaiman turned from his retainer… only to see a shadowy wraith. The wraith waved at him to come, and then disappeared. Sulaiman blinked, and then looked to see Sakaki in his face. "Um, Prince? Everything okay?"

"Um, yes," Sulaiman said. "I should probably check if those buildings over there had any damages. Lamia, could you come help?" He then walked away, leaving everyone legitimately confused. Everyone except Lamia, who clenched her staff, and followed him.

Deep in the wheatfields, away so his people couldn't see it, Sulaiman and Lamia stood next to each other. "...The ifrit is back, isn't he?" Lamia asked.

"Let me answer the following way," Sulaiman sighed. "Come out." As if on cue, a black and purple shadow sprang up. Sulaiman and Lamia looked to see a shadowy version of Sulaiman.

' _ **I was wondering just how long you were going to try to ignore me,'**_ the shadowy double said.

"Please do not pester Prince Sulaiman very much, and get to the point of this," Lamia sighed.

' _ **As the lady wishes,'**_ the dark Sulaiman with a bow. ' _ **With all due respect, the two of you, your plan will simply NOT work.'**_ Both of them looked at each other. ' _ **Before you ask, yes, I'm the reason why this whole 'appeal to the hearts and minds of the public' plan you are working with doomed to failure.'**_

"It's because you're a part of me," Sulaiman grimaced. "The repressed rage that I have at my constant mistreatment, the trust issues, and dark thoughts that I desperately do NOT want to give into… and the source of my magic."

' _ **And you're a part of me,'**_ the dark side replied. ' _ **The persona of a good little princeling, the desire to do good despite the fact that everyone of importance is just inclined to dislike or just distrust us, the masquerade of a paragon that I let hold the reigns of this carriage because all I'd do is prove the world right… and the side I cannot live without.'**_

"And I can't without you," Sulaiman sighed. "Two sides of the same prince. I wonder if Aladdin and Mother had the same problem, and how they dealt with it."

"You're saying that if the general public knew about this darkness," Lamia concluded to the ifrit, "that no amount of goodwill Prince Sulaiman does is going to be able to fix the mess that it will cause."

' _ **To put it simply, yes,'**_ the dark Sulaiman replied. ' _ **This dark side would no doubt ruin the family's image and just prove Duke Zahar is RIGHT to be paranoid… but not just of us.'**_ Turning to Sulaiman, ' _ **But speaking of our family, there is no doubt Mother and Aladdin too struggled with their darkness. But you have to ask yourself… what did they do with their inner demons? You and I simply coexist because there exists a block inside of us preventing me from trying to exert full control, and I have to let some magic flow to you so your magic doesn't back up, and you keep us alive with your actually good skills. But Mother and Aladdin? Ifrits are far more likely to fall into the trappings of darkness than other genie types as they explore magic, similar to how earth manaketes who don't attempt to socialize with other non-draconic beings are more likely to be consumed with madness. They had to get around their own mental blocks.'**_

"For someone who wants full control, you're awfully inclined to help me," Sulaiman said.

' _ **I can't control a dead man,'**_ the dark Sulaiman admitted. ' _ **But all I am saying, my socially decent half, is that this noble goal of improving your connection to the people is a waste of time. The world will never accept us, a spare prince of Poswa. For all of Duke Zahar's ruthless and rather petty personality, he makes a few good points. Do not pretend you haven't imagined finally surpassing our elder brother at something other than domestic duties and archery… or how comfortable Father's throne must be. You're an adventure away from marrying Cruibia's crown princess. It's not unreasonable for him, a war veteran scarred from Aseel's War, to believe this is the prelude to another Cruibian invasion."**_

Sulaiman frowned at the implications. "Stop trying to tempt me, ifrit!" he demanded.

' **Then get it through your head that change is not going to happen because you repair a few houses here and save a village there!'** the dark Sulaiman said. **_'_** _ **If you're hellbent on this, you need to aim higher with your appeal. But if we want to assure our survival, we should abandon this foolish 'hearts and minds' campaign, and get to Cruibia. NOW.'**_ He then faded away, and Sulaiman felt a dull pain on his still bandaged right arm.

"...Do you think he's right, Lamia?" Sulaiman asked. "That I'm wasting time?"

"...Yes and no," Lamia answered. "Yes in the fact that we're taking a while to get to Lady Yasmin. But no in the fact that you're actually making a difference. And I think your dark side is great underestimating the impact of your efforts. But he does also make a good point. While our work here was good, we SHOULD aim higher." Sulaiman placed his hand on his chin.

"That's something we need to discuss with the others, then," Sulaiman said. "WITHOUT mentioning my dark side, of course."

"Agreed, m'lord," Lamia said.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So, for those of you who haven't read _Night of Lore_ OR paid attention to Sulaiman's last chapter when he was trying to stay positive to avoid "feeding the ifrit", Sulaiman's dark side existing may seem weird. However, I decided it would be a small plot point that most ifrit class genies, seeing as they have a promotion that CAN use dark magic, struggle with their inner darkness that only magi close to the ifrit in question (like Lamia and Yasmin for Sulaiman), family (Aladdin, Farah, and Mecca) or, in Tawni's case (as she'll demonstrate later), her astral projection ability allowing her to interact with spirits can see. Sulaiman's ifrit spirit is content to let our Sulaiman (the good Sulaiman) be in control as long as Sulaiman doesn't endanger his own existence, and is affably evil (he's just as polite as regular Sulaiman), but he advises Sulaiman to be a lot more ruthless, avoid wasting time, and, most importantly, putting his own survival above everyone else's by not trusting ANYONE.

One of an ifrit's biggest challenges is dealing with their inner darkness. If they can tame it (like Farah did with hers), the ifrit will be not only more powerful for it, but also very stable in terms of personality. If they give into their own inner darkness (like Sizah), they'll still become powerful, but fall into madness that isn't that far off from a degenerated dragon in the _Fire Emblem_ universe. Sulaiman just has a shoulder devil who advises him to be more selfish, and may have a point at times.

Moving on from that, we get to meet Zahar's family, specifically his sons. Yes, he has two, which makes him somewhat hypocritical except for the fact that he DESPISES Khaled (despite Khaled being more similar to his personality than Zaid). Zaid is perhaps the only sane person of the three Botros (prefering to forget Sulaiman and leave him be to focus on the very real threat of Argelia), and displaying a far more gentlemanly and practical side, but has his quirks (including his fetish for blue-haired girls, although he's a gentleman about it) and his faults (his politeness has limits, as seen with his brother, and in any circumstance that his father was actually RIGHT to worry about Sulaiman's intentions, he'd be an idiot to not think about the long term possibilities of Sulaiman and Yasmin's marriage).

And then we have Khaled. Honestly, I'm aiming to make this particular piece of work more hated than his father. Khaled is almost everything one in Poswa would expect from a second-born nobleman. He cares little for the laws Poswa has in place on slavery, he treats women, especially non-human women, like they're beneath him, he does almost whatever he pleases (even if it isn't in his family or current company's best interests), and demands respect and power when he has no real claim to it. He hates Sulaiman because he believes his father is right about spares and Sulaiman is the antithesis of himself... and Sulaiman had a hand in denying him of what he considers his property.

And then there's Rawiya, Sulaiman's newest party member. She's a villager, but compared to fellow villager Himli, Rawiya's more eager and prepared to fight (as such with the higher strength growth than Himli, but at the cost of a lower speed growth). You know how Villagers start weak and can, in time, become one of the most dangerous people of your army? Yeah, that's Rawiya's potential in a nutshell. She is pretty much the Nephenee of Sulaiman's group if given the appropriate amount of love, and her ideal promotion is that of a Sentinel.

Finally, we have a traveling mercenary, Tuhfa. She is a character who is capable of walking through all four stories. Recruiting her as a mercenary requires her defeat by all four protagonists. She sets out to prove she's the best, but ultimately is proven wrong by all four protagonists, and gains so much respect for all four, she joins up with them.

Now, again, I didn't like this chapter... and I still don't. So, yeah, I'll keep working on improving Sulaiman. It will take some time, but I vow to keep him going.

The next chapter will be the reason WHY this was so delayed: another round of supports. Afterwards, we'll have Tawni return. Farewell, my subjects!


	17. Sulaiman and Company Supports, Round 1

A/N: Well, it's time for Sulaiman's group to have some support conversations. Beware, there's a LOT of conversations. And here... we... go!

* * *

 **"Sulaiman's Group Supports, Round 1"**

* * *

Lamia looked over Sulaiman's latest injury. "You have GOT to stop getting yourself seriously hurt during these battles, m'lord," Lamia said, stitching up Sulaiman's wound. "There. Now the stab wasn't too bad, nothing is broken, and the bleeding has stopped. Still, I think you shouldn't push that leg too hard after I cast my healing magic."

"Thank you, Lamia," Sulaiman said, bending his leg slightly. He gritted his teeth in slight pain, but he avoided crying out. He then turned to his retainer, and said, "Once again, you patch me up. I would have broken a long time ago if not for you."

"You're welcome, m'lord," the cleric smiled, adjusting her glasses. "But try to avoid such bleak topics."

"I'm serious," Sulaiman said. "...I won't lie, Lamia. You've been with me as long as I can remember. We practically grew up together, despite your family being on the other side of Poswa."

"It was incredibly inconvenient not being able to see my best friend," Lamia admitted. "I had to beg Mother and Father a chance to spend time with you to the point they decided to best honor House Gerges and House Nejem's traditional bond best would be me serving as a royal retainer. I'm willing to bet Father wanted me to be your older brother's retainer, but I insisted on being YOUR retainer, m'lord."

"Well, keeping an eye on me gave us both an excuse to spend time together," Sulaiman smiled. "Other than my constant injuries, you're practically my confidant."

"And I'm also the only person besides Yasmin and your family who can see… your dark side," Lamia said. She and Sulaiman looked at the dark reflection of Sulaiman, standing nearby.

' _ **That is true, Lamia,'**_ the dark Sulaiman scowled. _**'It seems only those with a truly close bond with my other half can see and hear me.'**_

"Can I convince you to please stop trying to turn Prince Sulaiman into the dark, twisted persona of embraced evil?" the cleric asked.

' _ **You know that's rather difficult, considering the incredible odds stacked against us,'**_ the dark Sulaiman answered. _**'If anything, your suggestions to not embrace our destiny as a spare prince of Poswa and wage war against our political enemies, Miss Lamia, are what put us in far more mortal danger than any of our enemies.'**_

"Either you're lying, ifrit, or your mentality is far more wicked than I thought," Lamia said.

' _ **I value my existence a bit too much to risk lying,'**_ the dark Sulaiman retorted. _**'But yes, my mentality is wicked. I know, it's not pleasant to listen to, but there will only be a few enemies that will play the game we're in fairly. Poswali politics are NOT an affair in which you can easily keep your hands and nose clean. Before your mother died no doubt trying to save our mother, there was something secret she was involved in, wasn't she?'**_

Lamia pulled on the real Sulaiman's leg, making him growl. "Sorry, m'lord," she quickly apologized, "but I wasn't… expecting that."

"It's alright," Sulaiman said. Looking at the dark side, he questioned, "Did you have to bring up that? You know Lamia doesn't like discussing her mother's business."

' _ **I did so because it's just like me,'**_ the ifrit replied. _**'An uncomfortable subject you'd rather not have seen or discussed. You and she try your best to ignore me, but you can't. So why not discuss what Lady Elam was up to before joining Mother?'**_

Sulaiman sighed. "You don't have to answer that, Lamia," Sulaiman tried to assure her.

"The thought HAS occurred to me, m'lord," Lamia remarked. "It's just… Mother and I weren't as close as I liked to have been growing up in a house otherwise full of men. I really need female companionship aside, Mother never talked about what exactly she was involved in before she and Father met, and what she was doing before Sultana Farah asked her to join her escort. With your permission, m'lord, I'd like to look into it the next time we're near my family's holdings."

"Of course," Sulaiman agreed. Turning to the dark image of himself, he asked, "Are you satisfied?"

' _ **Not fully, but it's better than nothing,'**_ the image said. _**'But remember my words, you two: we're in danger the more you in the driver's seat resist giving into the temptation of fulfilling these traditionalists' view of spares.'**_ He then faded away.

"I wish I was a separate entity from him," Sulaiman announced after a few moments.

"He's not completely untruthful," Lamia frowned. "The more you and I try to fight this view that spare nobles are inherently evil or at least going to cause trouble, the more the staunch traditionalists are going to fight to enforce their world view. Case in point, Duke Zahar. However, if the war is going to end with Poswa not waving the Argelian banner or worse, destroyed, we simply have no alternative BUT to fight it."

"And it makes sense for you and I to fight it together," Sulaiman replied. Lamia smiled at him while she grabbed her staff.

"Alright," Lamia said. "Now, hold still… this will speed up the process."

 _ **Sulaiman and Lamia have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The rogue looked over the paper map, again, before looking around. When he was sure that nobody else was in the desert, he pulled out a shovel, and said, "Well… this is quite the hike for it, but soon, I'll have it." Idris began digging, and chuckled, "One seventh of the Qus Qazah Altanin! Only six more sites, Father, and the collection will be back in our family's hands…."

"And here I thought you were planning to betray our lord by the way you were acting earlier," a voice said jokingly. "Aside from that, do you need any help finding the other six?"

"What the… Sakaki!?" Idris gapped, leaping back and turning to the half-crow. "You… you saw all of that…?"

Sakaki chuckled and said, "Yes I did."

Idris frowned at being found out, but sighed. "So… I take it you know my father was ex-Thieves Guild, don't you?"

Sakaki shook his head, and replied, "Up until now, I did not know that."

Idris raised an eyebrow. "So, it never dawned on you, a master strategist, assassin, and spy, that I, a skilled rogue, am the bastard son of a Poswali noblewoman and a former major player of the Ustrosi Thieves Guild before Mawdood took over and perverted the Guild's purpose to his own twisted intentions? I have the skillset of a professional thief, after all, and I thought you would have put it together after all of the jobs we've pulled these past few years."

"True, it never dawned on me." Sakaki shrugged, and then replied, "But I rather see a person for who they are than what they are. Even now, I still see you as the same guy that I worked with over the years, and probably the only one who has honestly said something about my cooking being 50 percent chance of getting people sick." He then scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Because I do have a high-class taste despite having a low-born sire," Idris replied. "Well, if you must know what's happening out here, my father, before Mawdood caught up to him and tortured him to death, managed to hide one of his last scores, the Qus Qazah Altanin. He made a map for me to find all seven parts of it, and it's worth a small fortune. I planned on putting the dragon back together, and selling it. Afterwards, I'll be rich… maybe make my own replacement for the Thieves Guild after we destroy it."

"So that's why you were acting so secretive. Well, in that case..." Sakaki stated, and then asked, "Hey, Idris, do you have another shovel?"

"You're in luck," Idris said. He then pulled out a second shovel. "If taking care of our lord has taught me anything, it's that you ALWAYS carry a second set of tools in case something breaks. Which considering that quite a few corrupt nobles will sooner want to see Lord Sulaiman six feet under than successful, means we usually get subpar equipment to work with." He then tossed it to the half-crow man. "Start on that side, I'll keep going over here."

"Got it, partner." Sakaki smiled as he caught the shovel, went to the area that Idris told him to go, and started digging.

 _ **Sakaki and Idris have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Lamia concentrated her staff on the whimpering manakete girl on the tarp, weakly coughing. The girl's mothers looked at the cleric in concern. Lamia told them, "Well, it seems that the poor thing does have a fever and a swollen throat. Now, normally, I'd write this off as a cold, but you told me that she hasn't exactly sneezed, lately, right?"

"Yes," the first of the mothers nodded. "What's happened to my baby girl?"

"If I had to guess," Lamia said, placing her staff to the side, "she may be having an allergic reaction to something she ate. Allergies in manaketes work slightly differently from humans, and certain passageways have swollen blocking the glands that contain the chemicals for your fire breath, the buildup causing the increase in body temperature."

"...So my daughter's fever is because she can't breathe fire?" the second manakete mother asked.

"Exactly," Lamia smiled. "Now, fortunately for you, while I'm not an apothecary, I have the supplies necessary to brew up a potion that can fix that…."

"Why not just heal her with magic?" Rafi asked, looking into the room.

"Rafi, what are you doing here?" the cleric asked, adjusting her glasses before searching her backpack for her healing supplies.

"A little bit after our last battle, I saw these two manaketes approach you from out of nowhere, and then take off with you!" the young mage said. "While Prince Sulaiman told me not to worry about it, Aunt Qiana honestly thinks you'd make a great Vizier one day for Prince Aladdin, so I couldn't let anything happen to you!"

"...You don't have to kiss up to Lord Aladdin, you know," Lamia muttered.

"What?" Rafi questioned with a frown.

"Anyway, to answer your question as to 'why I don't use magic to just heal her'," Lamia said, pulling out a few supplies, "it's because magic, while the two of us are prodigies in our respective chosen fields—mine being healing magic, yours being combat magic—is not the universal solution for every problem we run into." She began mixing the ingredients together, and she explained, "Most magical staves prioritize healing exterior physical wounds. The affliction to this poor girl is internal, and is because of clogged glands. Not something that you can simply wave a staff at. And that's not even mentioning the times that magic CAN'T heal a wound." She looked at her potion, and swirled it a little. She then knelt down, and said, "Alright, can you try drinking this? It should open you right up."

"O… Okay," the girl whispered. She grabbed the cup, and sipped it. Lamia grabbed Rafi, and ducked him down. When he was about to ask why, the girl suddenly burped, and flames erupted. "H… Hey! I can breathe fire, again, Mama!"

"Yes you can," the first mother beamed. "Did you hear that, Mommy? Our little girl is going to be okay!" She turned to Lamia, and said, "Thank Rerci for your work, little healer!"

"You're welcome," Lamia smiled with a curtsy. Turning back to the awed Rafi, she said, "We should probably get ready to go, Rafi."

"Whoa… how did you know that would happen!?" Rafi questioned.

"Certain plants and remedies have the effect of opening up airways, which helped this little gir relax her swollen throat," Lamia answered. "However, being a fire manakete, that build up of the chemicals used to create their signature flame was not healthy, and now unblocked, would erupt. Of course, she'll still need some bed rest and to take other medication that will help reduce the likelihood her sinuses will be affected by the allergy season, but she'll be fine."

"Wow," Rafi said. "You really know your stuff, Lamia!"

"Well, I know about healing, since I have been treating Prince Sulaiman for years," Lamia said. She turned to the manakete girls, and concluded, "Let me make some more of the remedy, and I recommend that until all symptoms are gone, she take about a spoonful a day." Turning back to Rafi, she said, "I'd be happy to teach you a few things about healing, Rafi, so you can feel a little closer to your aunt. But in return, I would like to understand some more information about offensive magic."

"You mean you don't know about combat magic?" Rafi questioned.

"I've been trained in the Temple of Rerci specifically to become a cleric," Lamia replied. "Combat magic is not exactly in my quiver, and you're a prodigy in terms of it. The more I learn about it, the better I can treat magical-originated injuries."

"...Makes sense," Rafi nodded. "Well, let's get back. No doubt Prince Sulaiman is waiting for us."

"Right," Lamia smiled.

 _ **Lamia and Rafi have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nail took a swig of his mug, enjoying the warm buzz of liquor in the afternoon. Suddenly, Duaa sat down next to him.

"There you are, Nail!" Duaa grinned. "You're awfully tough to find!"

"Hey, Duaa," Nail greeted. "You're chipper. What's up?"

"Just wondering what the plan to protect Prince Sulaiman is, today," Duaa answered. "So… what's the plan?"

"My plan is to take this drink and finish it," Nail answered.

"Okay," Duaa nodded. "And this protects Prince Sulaiman how?"

"It gives me a calm mind," Nail said. "Also, it gives Prince Sulaiman some privacy."

"Are we're supposed to be bodyguards, though?" the pink and orange-clad knight asked.

"In case it wasn't obvious," Nail frowned, "the prince is fully capable of defending himself. Or did you forget that last battle?"

"It was kind of intense," Duaa recalled. "I lost sight of him."

"I didn't," Nail replied. "Sulaiman was cornered by the enemy, and even though I tried to get to him, I was blocked. However, the prince handled himself extremely well, took down almost every single one by himself by the time I got to him to help clean up."

"Gods, really?" Duaa frowned. "Prince Aladdin asked for my help, and… well, wow. I didn't know how capable the second prince was."

"He's a card," Nail said. "But if you really want to become this bodyguard for Princess Yasmin, I suggest you get out of the habit of trying to compete as to who can take down the most enemies. You're good, but getting distracted like that kind of detracts from the job. My mentor taught me not to get too distracted by the fight to complete your goal."

"Mentor?" Duaa asked. "I was trained by Sir Barack. Who were you trained by?"

"A man named Naif," the barbarian answered. "Trained me in martial arts."

"What the… really?" the knight frowned. "Huh. I guess I really should know more about you, since you're my fight buddy."

"And I suppose I should learn about you, Duaa," Nail said. "For now, know that the prince doesn't really need 'protection' so much as 'backup'."

"...It seems weird, but I suppose I can do 'backup'."

"Good," Nail grinned. "You're learning. Now sit down, and have a drink. On me."

 _ **Nail and Duaa have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Alright," Rawiya smiled, carrying a bunch of supplies. "That was some serious haggling." Looking at Ulfah, she said, "Ya know, ya could have helped lowered the price a little."

"Sorry, got distracted," Ulfah apologized. "That handsome waiter winked at me, so I couldn't help myself."

"I keep forgetting ya'll are a double swinging door," Rawiya said. "But I thought ya were gonna wait, considering what happened to Thesin."

"She would want me to get back out on my camel," Ulfah answered. "After all, if our situation was reversed, I'd want her looking for a new lover the day BEFORE fate tore us apart."

"Ulfah, ya need to slow down," the villager protested. "Even though we ain't Prince Sulaiman's retainers, we're still seen with him, so we should avoid makin' idiots of ourselves."

"How is me gettin' out there and flirting making us look bad?" the explorer asked.

(If Thesin was saved by Sulaiman and not yet recruited)

"Your girlfriend's in a coma, and you're practically throwing yourself at every cute person," Rawiya deadpanned. "Yer kinda cheatin' on her."

"No fair, Rawiya," Ulfah frowned. "Making good points. Alright, fine, maybe I'll tone down the flirting."

"Good," Rawiya smiled. She then stuffed a package into Ulfah's chest. "Now help me get this back to camp. We should have been there an hour ago."

"Alright, alright," Ulfah said. "Let's go."

 _ **Rawiya and Ulfah have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Idris looked over the parchment. He then frowned, and said, "Okay, so that's THAT piece… damn, and here I thought this hunt would be a little bit easier. I may need a bit more than the connections that I have…." He then sighed. "I guess I have no choice." He then walked towards Sulaiman's tent. "M'lord? I need to talk to you. Is it okay for me to come in?"

"Idris?" Sulaiman asked, opening the tent, revealing he was in his nightwear. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, not exactly currently wrong for your concerns, but I feel that I need to discuss something with you." He quickly looked Sulaiman over. "And I feel your facial hair needs attended to."

"Again?" Sulaiman asked, feeling his beard. "Well, it does feel a little thick… alright."

Idris quickly pulled out his grooming tools, a towel, sat Sulaiman down. "I want you to look at this, m'lord," the rogue said, holding up a picture of a rainbow dragon statue.

"Idris, this wasn't in the palace when you first snuck in during that party and managed to steal almost everything of value you could carry not nailed down or in a vault," Sulaiman said. "You have some seriously sticky fingers."

"And I'm a gentleman thief," Idris smirked, getting to work. "But that was my application to working for you, m'lord. Simply because I wanted to, just in case it ever came to this moment, be able to request a royal favor."

"Idris, I thought we were friends," Sulaiman frowned.

"At this point, we are," Idris said. "Not as close as you are with Lamia, but I honestly wanted your help over hers. As you're no doubt aware, I am a thief. You would think with my mother, I wouldn't need to indulge in kleptomaniac pursuits, but it's in the blood, so to speak."

"Lady Maroun is a retired conwoman?" Sulaiman asked. Idris snickered.

"No, my mother was a saint who was swept off her feet by an ex-Ustrosi Thieves Guild rogue."

"What?" Sulaiman asked.

"Yes," Idris remarked. "She fell in love with a retired bad boy who, before he was violently taken away from us, had taught me everything I know, including about this." He once again pointed at the picture in Sulaiman's hands. "This is the Qus Qazah Altanin, the treasure from my father's last major heist. After Mawdood took over the Thieves Guild, my father sensed doom on the horizon and ran, taking the rainbow dragon with him and eventually meeting my mother. However, he always knew Mawdood would NEVER stop chasing him, and that he couldn't keep running from him. So he broke the dragon into seven separate parts and hid them throughout Orobia. By the time Mawdood ever figured out he was with my mother, Father had already hid the entire dragon. However, Father was betrayed and sold out by a man still in the Thieves Guild, who gave his location to Mawdood. In order to save me and Mother, he had no choice but to give himself up. We found his body a year later, mangled almost beyond recognition."

"Gods," Sulaiman grimaced. "Idris, I'm sorry."

"I don't your apologies, m'lord," the rogue said, continuing to trim Sulaiman. "But I do need your help." He pointed to a second piece of paper, which was a paper map. "This map has the locations of every single fragment my father had hidden. He entrusted this map to me before he died. If I succeed in finding every single part of it, I will be able to sell the complete thing for a small fortune."

"Is money what you really care about?" the prince asked. "You can ask for a raise, and I'd see what I can do."

"Well, actually, I plan to use the fortune to fund a replacement for the Thieves Guild," Idris replied. "But one of the spots happens to be in a prestigious location that not even my mother's connections will be enough to get me into. But a prince? That would be hard for the place to turn away and still look good."

"Let me get this straight," Sulaiman said. "You want me to be an accessory to a robbery you plan to commit by assisting you getting access to a restricted location?"

"I just need your permission to put your name out there, and agree to meet the contact," Idris assured him. "And it's not like the Marquess who built his summer home there knows he built it on top of where my father buried his treasure, so it's not like it's really me 'stealing' it unless I get caught." He placed his clippers down, and showed Sulaiman a mirror. "There you are… nice and cleaned up, aren't we?"

"...Yeah, I guess I am," Sulaiman said, rubbing his chin. "Thanks, Idris. And tell you what: let's compromise. You can put my name out there, but if the Marquess bites, we'll see if we can negotiate with him. Okay?"

"I suppose that is better than I expected," Idris nodded. "Very well, m'lord. I'll take my leave."

As he walked out, Sulaiman called, "Oh, and Idris! Give Lamia back her necklace in the morning, she told me earlier she's missing it."

"How long after dinner did she notice?" Idris chuckled.

"Right before she went to bed," Sulaiman replied. Idris nodded, and then walked back to his tent.

 _ **Sulaiman and Idris have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Oh Lady Rerci," Lamia prayed, "grant this young servant Your strength in this hour of need. And forgive me in advance, for I fear I may soon sin." She then sighed, before standing up. She then looked around. "Now, where is that assassin…?"

"You called?" Sakaki said behind her.

Lamia yelped. "Oh gods!" She sighed, and scowled, "Stop doing that! One of these days, I'll have a heart attack!"

"Sorry." Sakaki chuckled, and then asked Lamia, "So, what do you need me for?"

"I shouldn't have snapped, Sakaki," Lamia remarked. "But I need to address that I have not given you a proper official welcome to Prince Sulaiman's entourage. Your status in the shadows as Prince's Sulaiman's secret retainer will soon come to light, so I as his official retainer should make you feel at home."

"I understand," Sakaki nodded in acknowledgement, and then replied, "Also, I want to apologize for scaring you like that."

"Apology accepted," Lamia said. "Having said all of that, I feel that I am obligated to give you the benefit of the doubt about your intentions for this group. You did perform quite admirably in that last battle, and your strategies are very sound."

"I thank you for your praise," Sakaki said as he bowed.

"However," Lamia said, "as both a healer, and Prince Sulaiman's oldest friend, I have to express my professional and personal concerns about… well you."

"Well, let's hear them," Sakaki said.

Slightly taken aback by how quick his response and the lack of bother at her announcement, Lamia paused for a moment. She then said, "Well, as a healer, I do have to be concerned with the fact that since your status as a half-bird, your body is a smidge more fragile than the average human to allow you to fly, so therefore I may have quite the difficulty treating you should you ever become critically injured. As much as I've treated Prince Sulaiman, who is one-quarter djinn, we all know djinn physiology is surprisingly close to human physiology. Hence why they can have half-genies in the first place."

"Yes, and because of that, I have to be very careful." Sakaki nodded and agreed with Lamia. He then smiled nostalgically, "Although, I did have my fair share of broken bones and injuries during the time I was learning how to fly when I was little and my beginning days as an assassin."

"And that is the segue I needed to address personal concerns," Lamia remarked. "Your history as an assassin may sooner or later come out, especially since our objectives will put us in the crosshairs of countless enemies. Some of enemies will have gold that they'd be more than happy to part with if it led to an assassin turning their blade on us."

"Yeah, was kind of expecting that to pop up sooner or later." Sakaki admitted, and then replied, "I will make sure not to take any gold from enemies no matter what, especially ones that want the prince dead. Don't worry about me, I made an oath to protect him no matter what, even if it costs me my life. Also, some people tried to pay me to betray our lord in the past, but I straight out refused."

"Oh thank the gods," Lamia sighed. "And here I was about to say that should you, for whatever reason, ever make the conscious decision to attempt to betray him, I may 'accidentally' forget to attend to you the next time you're very critically injured. Which I should remind you that our lord is an expert marksman and could easily counter your flying abilities."

"Betrayals are one of the things I hate," He replied. "If I did end up betraying our lord and the others' trust, I would be regretting it for the rest of my life. Although, getting shot by our lord, or you 'forgetting' to heal me sounds like a better option than working for the enemy. At least I'll die with no regrets either by your hands, or our lord's." He then chuckled, "After all, 'You reap what you sow.'"

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page," Lamia smiled. "I will see you at dinner, Sakaki." She then walked away.

"You too, Lamia," He said before leaving as well.

 _ **Sakaki and Lamia have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Sulaiman and Ulfah were sneaking up on a group of wild gazelle. The two looked at each other. "Prince Sulaiman," Ulfah said, "I wanted to talk."

"And you decided to go hunting to start a conversation?" Sulaiman asked drawing his bow. (If Thesin was saved) His arm was shaking before of the magic damage that still lingered from binding Thesin, but he clenched his arm and kept moving.

"What better way to make sure our bellies are full and have something to do?" Ulfah suggested. "Now, come on… we have gazelle to hunt." She and Sulaiman both took aim with their bows.

Sulaiman said, "I have to warn you, my aim is a little off…."

"Which is why I'm here," Ulfah smirked. "I wanted to thank you very much for saving Thesin when even I, her girlfriend, thought she was a lost cause. You didn't have to, and it was at cost to yourself, but you did it."

"I just made the call that would have made you happy, Ulfah," Sulaiman nodded, picking a gazelle and letting his arrow fly. This his surprise, the arrow struck, but it didn't kill the gazelle. Ulfah very quickly followed up with several arrows that killed not just the gazelle Sulaiman shot, but a few more. Sulaiman barely got off one more shot, this one being a clean kill, before the herd ran. "Wow."

"The wild was where I was born and raised," Ulfah said, looking at their bounty. The two pulled out their hunting knives. "Still, for a city boy, you seem to know your way around the desert. What gives?"

"Archery and cooking been the two things I'm better than my older brother at," Sulaiman explained. "My parents both had trained us in survival skills in case we had to," Sulaiman said. "Also, before we met you, I was the only actual ranged hunter in my group of companions."

"Yeah, you don't have too much company that seems to enjoy the outdoors," Ulfah noticed. She was about to begin skinning the gazelle when an arrow shot the knife out of her hand. "What the…!?"

"Well, I'll be," a female voice replied. The two looked to see a tall, golden-haired, teal eyed adventurer wearing a pink vest over her brown shirt, and pink tights. Joining her were several mercenaries, explorers, and rogues. "If it ain't Ulfah… stealing my quarry."

"Shadaa," Ulfah scowled. "What do you want?"

"Merely what's mine," Shadaa said. She then pointed her bow at Ulfah, and said, "Starting with the gazelle that you killed. I was hunting in this spot way before you and this… rather handsome individual showed up."

"Alright, you two know each other?" Sulaiman asked.

"We used to date before she decided she was too noble for a few… jobs,"Shadaa said. "Why, handsome? Are you enamoured by sweet little me? There's not a soul alive who isn't."

Sulaiman politely said, "As flattered as I am, I am already spoken for." He then looked at Ulfah, and asked, "I thought you were dating Thesin?"

"Before I was with Thesin, I was with Shadaa," Ulfah said. "Now, I regret every moment of it."

"Oh, Ulfah, Ulfah, Ulfah," Shadaa sighed. "You're just mad because I dumped you like the dead weight you were when you chickened out of that heist, I was the girl who had the guts to take what I wanted whenever I pleased, and you didn't, and I'm taking full advantage of this war to make a killing. But speaking of killing…." She snapped her fingers, and the group she was with drew their weapons. "We're well prepared to make our own killing in about three seconds unless I'm properly incentivized." Ulfah growled, but Sulaiman put his hand on the explorer's shoulder.

"You win… for now," Sulaiman said. "Come on, Ulfah, we clearly need to find a different hunting spot." Ulfah was about to protest, but the prince began dragging her away.

"This isn't over, witch!" Ulfah yelled at Shadaa. "Wait until I get the rest of Prince Sulaiman's entourage! We're gonna kick your ass all over this continent!" As Sulaiman continued to drag the explorer screaming expletives to another hunting area, Shadaa's eyes widened.

"Wait, that was… Prince Sulaiman?" the adventurer asked. She then smiled. "Interesting…."

 _ **Sulaiman and Ulfah have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Lamia sighed as she sat down with her food. "Finally done… now, to enjoy a well-deserved meal…."

"I'll say," Idris smirked while sitting next to her. "And what better meal than Lord Sulaiman's exquisite cuisine?"

"Hello to you, Idris," Lamia blinked. "I wasn't expecting you to sit here, this evening."

"Lord Sulaiman thinks you and I have a bit of tension," Idris explained before taking a bite of his food. "Oh gods, this is amazing…! Such a glorious blend of spices, vegetables, and the meat!"

"I'm completely aware that you pride yourself on being a gentleman thief," Lamia giggled, "but you speak with the flair of a gourmet, as well."

"I'll have you know I have gotten into a few parties that I wouldn't otherwise be invited into by offering my services as a food taster," Idris said. "I've developed not only a tolerance for poisons, but also a refined pallet. I do what I love, Lamia."

"Well, that explains how you first got into our lord's service," Lamia said. "You then managed to pickpocket almost everyone in the party that night… as your 'application' to the royal family. To think a con man would become the retainer to a prince." She then took a bit of her own meal, and her face lit up. "By the gods, you're right… this is amazing."

"Cooked to perfection," Idris said. "So, you've been with Lord Sulaiman ever since the two of you were toddlers, and you made retainer first. How did that happen?"

"My mother was Sultana Farah's first real friend in Poswa after she married Sultan Mecca," Lamia replied while Idris ate. "Naturally, the two of them thought their kids would get along… but Prince Aladdin and my brothers kept to their own devices. However, Lord Sulaiman and I clicked ever since we were little. I frequently hated being separated from Lord Sulaiman for long periods of time, so eventually Mother and Father had me become Prince Sulaiman's retainer."

"That's adorable," Idris chuckled, making Lamia blush. "So I finally feel the soft side of Lamia Gerges."

"And I experience the true connoisseur of Idris Maroun," Lamia replied before going back to her food.

 _ **Lamia and Idris have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Nail?" Sulaiman said, looking at his bodyguard, who was standing across from him while warming up, wearing only his red pants and white bandages around his hands and knuckles, showing off his muscular physique.

"Yeah?" Nail asked, watching Sulaiman finish wrapping bandages around his own hands. The prince was wearing a red undershirt and brown shorts.

"When you said you 'wanted to talk'," the prince said, "I didn't think you wanted 'full-contact, hand-to-hand sparring'."

"Yeah, but what better way for men like us to talk than with our fists?" Nail said. "Suppose you're unarmed and can't quickly summon your weapon. Better to have a backup. Also, Lamia can heal a broken nose easier than a sword to the gut."

"Fair points," Sulaiman said.

"Also, it gives me a chance to seriously brush up on my style of martial arts," Nail added, sinking into a peculiar. "Now, come on." Sulaiman sunk into one as well. Barack, meanwhile, walked in, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Begin," he said, backing up.

The two men then ran at each other, Nail throwing the first punch while Sulaiman barely blocked with his left arm, before trying to counter with his right leg. Nail quickly grabbed it, but found out it was a feint to open him to a punch to the jaw. Nail shook that off before landing a blow to Sulaiman's stomach, and aimed a kick at Sulaiman's face that was barely caught by the prince.

"Not bad," Sulaiman grinned, pushing the leg down. "So, you studied hand-to-hand combat?" He was answered by having to block an elbow from Nail.

"Yeah, I did," Nail smirked, parrying Sulaiman's counter punches. He then tried to elbow Sulaiman again, but Sulaiman caught it again. However, Nail rose an open palm to the prince's chin, knocking him backwards. "The Namatu Al'abyad Finiks, a mix of Xuhuan jiujitsu and Poswali krav maga. Yours?"

"Just the krav maga, which is why some of the moves are familiar," Sulaiman said, blocking another strike. He then said, "But there's no way you're self-taught." He then struck with a kick and then barely avoided a punch. He grabbed Nail's arm, elbowed him, and then flipped him over his shoulder. Nail then quickly kicked Sulaiman in the jaw, which stunned the prince enough for Nail to kick Sulaiman's leg to make him kneel, and then get up and suplex the prince.

"You're right, I'm not," Nail said. Sulaiman caught what would have been a finishing stomp, and then pushed up, showing his determination was still triggered. Nail flipped backwards to avoid being floored, and Sulaiman and Nail resumed fighting stances. "My master's name is Naif. He is like a dad to me… since my real one is an arse, and my Mother died when I was too young to really know her."

"I feel for you," Sulaiman said, throwing a few punches, which were dodged befor he was hit in the side. "My father pays more attention to Aladdin than he ever did me, but I know in his own way, he cared. As for my mother, I want to think she loved me, since she didn't care about the stigma of second-born nobles in Poswa."

"And Aladdin?" Nail asked, bringing his arms up to slam down on Sulaiman, only for the prince to block with his arms.

After pushing up, Sulaiman said, "He's aloof… sometimes I wonder, though. Big Brother doesn't really spend time with me, but I want to think he tolerates me, at least." Sulaiman then pushed, and went for a final strike… only for Nail to chop his arm, making Sulaiman flinch, and then floored him with a quick clothesline.

"Not bad, prince, but you need to expand your style," Nail said, extending his hand. "You're clearly better with weapons than I am, but you put up a hell of a fight."

"And you do, as well," Sulaiman smirked, reaching up and grabbing Nail's hand. Nail hoisted Sulaiman up. "That was fun for you, wasn't it?"

"A bit," Nail chuckled. "We should just talk next time. Now we should probably get Lamia to stop worrying about us."

"That we should," Sulaiman said. "As somewhat stress relieving sparring is, we should get looked at."

"Winner gets checked over first!" Nail chuckled, running ahead. Sulaiman tried to follow, but his leg injury from earlier in the fight made him wince.

"He did that on purpose, didn't he?" Sulaiman asked Barack.

"Perhaps," the great knight shrugged.

 _ **Sulaiman and Nail have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Why am I doing this again, Duaa?" Rafi asked. He had switched out of his robes and was wearing a white shirt and red shorts. Duaa herself was wearing a pink sports bra, showing off her muscular physique, an orange sweatband on her head, and long pink harem pants.

"You need to build up some muscle, Rafi," the knight answered, stretching. "You can't just get by with spells, and that armor of mine is too heavy for me to move in quickly. Besides, I'm not having you do anything too intense… just a light workout." Finishing her stretch, she said, "Now, first, drop and give me fifty!"

"I'm sorry, what!?" Rafi asked.

"You heard me, punk!" Duaa scowled. "Get down, and give me fifty push-ups!"

"Ugh, fine," Rafi groaned, dropping to the ground and beginning. "What are you going to do?"

"About 200 of the same per hand," Duaa answered, getting down and, using one hand, doing her own. Several minutes later when Sulaiman, Barack, and Lamia, doing their own parkour run (Lamia being the one who was panting with her soaked purple tanktop and black yoga pants while Barack was shown to be in great physical condition wearing his white shirt and red pants), came across them, Rafi was groaning on the ground in a puddle of his own sweat, while Duaa was finishing up on her left hand.

"...Do I want to know what you put Rafi through?" Sulaiman asked Duaa, letting Lamia take a breather. Duaa stood up, and grabbed her nearby towel.

"How are you, m'lord?" she asked, wiping herself off. "Just having Rafi do a light workout. You guys look like you were busy."

"Freerunning," Sulaiman said.

"My arms… are screaming…." Rafi panted. "Kill… me…."

"Oh Rafi," Duaa said, kneeling down to him, "if you can't handle push-ups, how are you going to handle being Prince Aladdin's apprentice? I don't think he's the type to take it easy on his students."

"He's not," Sulaiman admitted, grabbing Rafi and hoisting him up. "And neither would Sir Barack, and he TRAINED Duaa and me both in terms of combat."

"Damn right I'm not," Barack replied. "And if you think that's bad, young man, this is what Duaa does as a warmup."

"What's the real workout, then?" Rafi asked, looking horrified at Duaa, who was now doing sit-ups.

"Usually, after push-ups I do 200 sit-ups, 100 jumping jacks, a five-minute plank, bench about 100 kilograms fifty times, and then do a half-hour jog," Duaa answered.

"...Please don't leave me alone with this psycho," Rafi begged.

"I apologize, Rafi, but Duaa insists you need to do physical training and she IS taking it very light on you," Sulaiman replied. Looking at Lamia, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm… with Rafi," Lamia sighed. "This… for lack of a better term… stinks!"

"I warned you that mine and Sir Barack's non-weapons workouts were brutal on beginners," Sulaiman said. "Sadly, Lamia, we have another three blocks we need to do."

"Oh gods," Lamia said, pulling out her water bottle and drinking it. "Alright, let's finish this."

"That's the spirit!" Barack said to the cleric. "Finish strong!" The three then took off.

"See, Rafi?" Duaa smirked. "Lamia may be weak, but she's doing a lot better than you, because those two's freerunning trips involve a combination of running, climbing, and jumping, and she's keeping up! Now, do thirty crunches, mister!" Rafi groaned, falling on his face. "That's not sit-up position, maggot!"

 _ **Rafi and Duaa have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nail and Idris were both sitting across from each other, each holding a hand of cards. "You and I should have done this ages ago, Idris," Nail chuckled. "Sit down, chew the fat, and play some cards."

"You know, when you said you wanted to 'play a game'," Idris admitted, "I honestly thought it would be something muscleheads consider manly. Glad to know you have some class under that gruff exterior."

"You should see the crew I used to hang around with," Nail replied. "Those guys definitely played rough. Also, I'm pretty sure one of them was missing a few fingers last time I saw them. Now, I believe it's your turn to play."

"Fair enough," Idris said. He then placed his hand down. "Three of a kind. You?"

"Oh, nothing special," the barbarian said. "Just a full house!" He then placed the cards on the table. Idris frowned.

"Damn," he swore. "Fine, you win. I'll tell you what I've been up to."

"So glad we made that bet," Nail smirked.

"How familiar are you with the Ustrosi Thieves Guild?" the rogue asked.

"I was once scouted for it," Nail replied. "Turned the offer down, of course. Just because I enjoy getting into a brawl every once in a while doesn't mean I go out of my way to shake down good folks for money."

"You ever hear about the theft of the Qus Qazah Altanin?"

"Oh gods, that was you?" Nail questioned.

"It was my father," Idris deadpanned.

"Okay, because I was about to ask how old you were," Nail frowned.

"I'm looking for the pieces of it," Idris said. "My father scattered it before he died."

"Sounds to me this is going to be a long side job of yours," the barbarian smirked. "If you ever need some extra side muscle, I'm up to the task."

"Thanks, Nail," Idris said. "I'll keep it into consideration. Now, deal a new hand, barbarian."

"Fine," Nail agreed.

 _ **Idris and Nail have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"I hope you're ready for training again, m'lord," Barack said while the two got out their practice swords. "No sense falling behind in case diplomacy fails."

"Fair enough point," Sulaiman nodded. He then thought about it, and asked, "Sir Barack, how good were my father or mother skilled at diplomacy?"

Barack was stunned at the question. "Well, that's an interesting subject. What brought that on?"

"It's a dark thought, I'll admit," Sulaiman said. "On one hand, during Aseel's War, my father didn't like the violence and he did try to reason with the Cruibians many times, while Mother managed to win the hearts of many people, Father included, with her words. But on the other hand, Father failed to get King Darius to stand down on his own, and Mother was killed during a peace talk with Argelia. That's not even mentioning Aladdin and his attempt to negotiate with Argelia years ago. I'm worried that my attempts to be an ambassador are doomed to failure… and while my combat skills are impressive, they're not on the level of Father at his peak or Aladdin's."

"You have to have more faith on yourself," Barack frowned. He then thought about it, and then said, "You know, you sound like my daughter did when she started out."

"You have a daughter?" Sulaiman asked.

"I know it's shocking, m'lord, but unlike Haytham, I have something called 'a life outside of the royal family'."

"It's just you've NEVER said anything about your personal life," Sulaiman replied. "I've just never pried."

"Yes, I had a wife," Barack said. "She died in childbirth, but our three girls survived, and have grown to be beautiful young women who I keep an eye out for. But my oldest is the one I'm talking about. Her name's Avye, who is surprisingly shy for an oldest child, and she and her best friend, before the war, were planning a trip to Argelia. Of course, the war broke out by the time they were there, but Avye has sent me letters. She's worried that Argelians will mistake her for a Poswali spy."

"Was she trained in the arts of espionage?" the prince questioned.

"I asked your father to make sure not a single recruiter ever got within ten meters of my kids," the great knight said.

"Did you marry a crow or Romani?" Sulaiman asked.

"No crow, and while she was mischievous, my wife wasn't a Roma," Barack answered. "…I married a mau."

"And there are maus in Argelia," Sulaiman realized. "Well, as long as she knows Argelian, your daughter should be safe."

"She wouldn't have backpacked to Argelia if she and her friend didn't know the language," Barack assured his prince.

"Still, if we have the chance, do you want me to keep an eye out for her?" Sulaiman requested.

"Well… we could," Barack said. "Alright, now enough talk. It's time to work on your form with your sword."

"Right," Sulaiman said. Both men took stances with the swords, and then began their sparring session.

 _ **Sulaiman and Barack have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"There you are, my pretty purple healer," the explorer smiled as she approached Lamia, who was doing some reading.

"Ulfah," Lamia acknowledged. "What can I do for you… besides be your apparent eye candy, today?"

"Oh, I have plenty of eye candy going around," Ulfah waved off. "Anyway, you're well-read, right?"

"I would like to believe that I have gotten the best education Father could afford," Lamia answered. "Is there a particular subject you'd like to hear about?"

"I wanted to talk to you about eastern Poswa."

"What about eastern Poswa do you wish to know?" Lamia asked. "As a seasoned explorer, you have no doubt been around the nation, if not Orobia."

"True, I've been a few places," Ulfah admitted. "However, I don't really know a whole lot about the people who oversee the east. You said it was the Gerges who oversee it, right?"

"Yes," Lamia smiled. "That's my family. And yes, I'm aware of how bizarre it is that I am traveling from the west to get back to my birthplace in the east, but it is part of our goal. But anyway, House Gerges is one of Poswa's oldest houses. You know how Poswa was back in the olden times, right?"

"Something tells me this is going to be a long one," Ulfah remarked. "We should probably find a comfortable spot to talk about this…."

"You make a very strong point," Lamia said. "Bring this up to me later, and I'll see if I can make some time. It will be a long conversation."

"Alright," Ulfah smiled. "Take care!"

 _ **Lamia and Ulfah have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Sulaiman brandished his bow, notched an arrow, and took aim at the target. He then fired, hitting the bullseye. He smirked, and then took aim at the next target—

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Sulaiman watched the target he was aiming at reduced to kindling. He then frowned, and looked at Rafi. "Did you want something, Rafi?" he asked the mage.

"Sorry, Prince Sulaiman," but you should be trying to keep up," the vizier's nephew grinned. "Using a bow is unbecoming of a prince and a genie, isn't it?"

"You did NOT just insult my archery abilities," the prince scowled.

"Well, I think you should be working on magic, not archery," Rafi reasoned. "Your mother was one of the most powerful half-genies in the entire world, and Prince Aladdin is a master of magic. Yet, here you are, putting the family tradition of magic aside… for firing pieces of thin, sharpened wood."

"With an iron or even steel-tip that can in the right hands pierce through armor with enough force, can be used as an emergency fire starter or even firewood, it flies quickly and silently when compared to magic, and can even serve as an emergency melee weapon."

"...You're kidding, right?" Rafi questioned.

"No," Sulaiman said. "You can use a bow as a makeshift club or the arrows as really long knives. Furthermore, as much as I have to respect the arcane arts, the sword and the bow is often better suited than magic in terms of survival in the desert."

"What?" Rafi asked. "Really?"

"According to Father and Mother," Sulaiman recalled, "while magic helped the latter many times in her adventuring days, the Valkyries often had issues with hunting and gathering save for Miss Adre and Queen Minoo, because Queen Minoo was an experienced hustler and thief who had to force-learn her survival skills and Miss Adre has had centuries of survival experience, and the other three were some type of magi."

"And that's bad, how?" Rafi questioned.

"Suppose that target you rudely obliterated was a wild sheep," Sulaiman said, looking at another target. He notched an arrow, took aim, and fired, hitting the bullseye. "My approach is a solid, clean kill. A little dull in terms of flair, but it got the kill and saved the most amount of meat, and I can make use of the wool as a form of insolation against the cold nights. Now, try again, use a spell to hit as close to the center of the target as humanly possible."

"Is there a point to this?" Rafi asked.

"You'll see," Sulaiman said. Rafi shrugged, but channeled his magic. The spell circle formed under him, and he launched his fire spell. It was the same result as the first spell.

"I don't really see it," Rafi said. Sulaiman sighed, and pointed to the multiple pieces of wood in flames, some already black.

"That's your dinner scattered everywhere, Rafi. Burnt, inedible, and causing a mess that can quickly spread," Sulaiman lectured. "Hitting the target is fine, but sometimes you need it in-tact to get the best results. Combat magic is incredibly difficult to perform a clean kill with, or—in the event you need a target alive—to wound in a crippling manner with. Your power is great, but you lack the very solid control."

"How is it that you this?" the vizier's nephew asked. "Before my folks disappeared and had me sent to Aunt Qiana, they never told me things like that."

"Before I discovered I had a block, I was told that I had great control," Sulaiman said. "I still do have great control… but not enough power to really make use of combat magic. Not that it matters, I succeed in other areas that count."

"...Huh," Rafi nodded. "Well, that's something to think about."

"Well, I know you're more interested in learning from Aladdin, but I can teach a few things," Sulaiman said, putting back his bow. "But what was that about your family?"

"Yeah, my parents are both magi," Rafi said. "Aunt Qiana is my dad's big sister and the 'responsible one'. However, my dad mentioned he wanted to dive deeper into magic, so he and Mother went to Argelia… that was right before the war started."

"I hope they're okay," Sulaiman said. Suddenly, the fire Rafi had caused started spreading. "We should probably take care of this."

"Yeah," Rafi said, and the two ran to get buckets of water.

 _ **Sulaiman and Rafi have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nail laid down by the campfire. He then heard footsteps approaching him. He then opened one eye, and said, "Lamia, is that you?"

"Yes it is," Lamia said, completing her approach. He spotted her frown on her face, as well as the mug in her hands.

"Anything you want to say?" the barbarian asked.

"Yes," Lamia answered. She then bowed to him, and extended the mug to Nail.

"Huh?" the barbarian asked. "The hell are you doing?"

"Bowing while offering you a drink?" Lamia answered.

"I can see that," Nail said while she looked up at him. "But my real question is WHY the hell are you doing that?"

"Well, I felt obligated to do so, seeing as our partnership in Lord Sulaiman's staff began with you saving both my life and Lord Sulaiman's," the cleric said. "I believe it is customary to offer some form of refreshment to coworkers?"

"...You're new at this whole socializing with us commoners, aren't you?" Nail asked, taking the cup. Lamia lamely scratched her head. "Have a seat, Lamia."

She sat down, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what someone like you would want to talk about, Nail. But I figured thanking you would be a starting point."

"Is that all?" the barbarian asked. "Well, you're welcome. And I have to say, for a petite healer, you have a fire in your belly, since you were the only one who verbally believed in the underdog the day we first met. Reminds me of a girl I once knew."

"Who was that?" Lamia asked. Nail shook his head.

"A long story that I'm not really wanting to share right now, but know that I admire people with spirit," Nail said. "You and Prince Sulaiman definitely each have it. A lot more than most nobles I've seen. Part of why I threw in my lot in with your lord."

"The other being that you really needed money," Lamia figured.

"Yeah," Nail admitted. "But it's worked out for everyone." He then looked at the fire, and leaned back. "Next time you want to talk to me, don't hesitate."

"I guess I won't," Lamia said. "For a thug who once worked for Duke Zahar, you're surprisingly approachable."

"That's me, alright," Nail chuckled. "Bruiser with a soft center."

 _ **Lamia and Nail have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The prince finished hauling the large deer back to the camp. "Alright, that's one chore," Sulaiman smirked, placing the now slain animal down on a tarp. He pulled out his hunting knife, and said, "Well, all that's left to do is prepare it for dinner, tonight…." He then looked up, and yelped. "Sakaki!"

"Hi Prince!" Sakaki greeted.

"I really should keep a bell on you," Sulaiman muttered. Aloud, he said, "Well, I wasn't expecting you to be right there, Sakaki. What's wrong?"

"Nothing much expect for the fact that Barack may have found out I was the one who made his camel's hair turn into a different color the other day, though I thought it was someone else's, as a prank, and is right now hunting me down." Sakaki admittedly said.

"That was you?" Sulaiman asked. He looked around, and then said, "Okay, as someone with personal experience with Sir Barack, I have to say he's kind of predictable when someone upsets him. You have about five minutes to hide before he starts checking tents, starting with the guilty party's tent. I would suggest not going back there for about the next hour. Also, steer clear of the campfire until I calm him down from trying to kill you, because that's where I'm going to be cooking this deer. You MAY need to get something else to eat. You're still going to get hell for what you did because nobody pranks Sir Barack without consequences, but you're at least getting out of it with your wings still attached to your body."

"Thanks, Sulaiman," Sakaki said. Before he went somewhere to hide, he asked Sulaiman, "Wait, did someone managed to tick him off before? If so, who?"

"My mother was a mischievous woman even as a parent!" Sulaiman replied. "She had her moments of innocent pranks! But who really upset him was one of the new recruits the other time! Anyway, go, I'll hold him off."

"Leaving now!" Sakaki said as he left to find a hiding place. "Note to self: make sure it is actually one of the new recruits' camels before doing that prank again." He muttered to himself.

Sulaiman shook his head before beginning to skin the deer. "Rerci ni yotte, watashi wa kimyōna riteinā o motte imasu [By Rerci, I have the oddest retainers]..." Suddenly, Barack walked up to him.

"M'lord, have you seen a certain dead birdman walking?" the great knight scowled. "He dyed my dear Fahmi PINK!"

"I'm aware," Sulaiman sighed. "Have you tried checking his tent?"

"Not yet," Barack said. He then walked away, leaving the prince to do his work.

"Sakaki is a bizarre individual," Sulaiman mused. "You know, I should really ask him about his past the next time we see each other and have some one-on-one time."

 _ **Sulaiman and Sakaki have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: First off, special thanks to petem5004 for his help writing Sakaki's supports. Sakaki showed a far more whimsical tone than I thought through his writing. He specifically requested Lamia and Idris as support partners dialogue, and I granted it.

Second, again, if you want to help cowrite Support dialogue for your OCs, feel free to PM me about it, and I'll see what I can do.

Third, and most important, I wanted this to start showing Sulaiman and his people bonding, and holy crap, that's about 17 conversations, if I remember correctly. Sulaiman's people having actual bonds shows that they are people, and more than just Sulaiman's entourage of yes men. They show having actual goals, curiosities, and wants. Even the first one, showing Lamia argue with Sulaiman's inner darkness shows that there are parts of Sulaiman she doesn't like, but keeps secret to maintain some semblance of order within the army. Idris may be loyal to Sulaiman, but he has his own goals and admits is a bastard (in the sense of being illegitimate). Rafi's crippling overspecialization with magic makes his flaws easy to see. I wanted you to see how realistic these people were.

Finally, I realized that last chapter, I didn't respond to the reviews. Let's fix that.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Well, that's true, we getting new Pokemon games. I'm just going to wait for the Gen VIII games, though.

Yeah, Janiya has a lot of allies. It's less her being really good at being a magnetic hero, and more she's in the right place at the right time. It works out for her, though.

Yeah, I felt that one of _Fates'_ weakest points was HOW they included the child units (not the child units themselves, Ophelia, Kana-bean, and Mighty Midori for the win). While _Awakening's_ story was probably not the best _Fire Emblem_ had to offer, it at LEAST justified the child units' inclusion (in the future Lucina comes from, the game's main dragon villain, Grima, succeeds in his ressurection and pretty much curbstomps humanity, which he hates... just because, and Lucina and her group of surviving children of the Shepherds come to the conclusion that the one way to save their parents and the rest of the world was to perform a one-way trip back in time to stop Grima's rise). I CAN'T, for the life of me, justify child units in _Night of Tales,_ even though I do plan to ship the characters. If anything, I'm going to have naturally born kids, and have them be the heroes of a sequel story.

Moving on. Oh, yeah, got your OC. Will try to incorporate him in Sulaiman's next chapter.

 **ZenoZen:** Sakaki definitely adapted to Orobia. You'll have to ask petem5004 for his full backstory. Also, Tawni's more than happy to let Sulaiman have his moment... Howe's a bit salty, though.

Howe: Wait, we changed places!?

 **Consort:** To be fair, they're not the only ones. Just the girly ones that I originally planned for, with Ria making them the Pegasus Knight Trio. The real Red and Green Cain and Abel archetypes are actually Tawni's companions, Kareem and Jamal. But yeah, Emerald is the responsible sibling while Rosetta is stronger and quicker.

I know most game developers, especially western-ones, seem to think games are better by encouraging multiplayer and loot boxes, but to me, there's something about replay value and making you actually CARE about the side characters. Since the lords and maybe their personal best friends are still going to be the ones who have the most character development throughout the story, but since these are your OCs you're sending in, I may as well make it seem like your characters matter in some form or another. Hence a way to develop them. It's a lot of work, but I think it's worth it. Also, I'll put in small easter eggs.

 **Sdarkynecro:** Glad you enjoyed Ria's debut. I wanted her to have a good entrance, and by your reaction, I made it. Also, glad to have had that talk about Loyalty Missions.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** I'm glad to have had your assurance that working together was fun. It really was, and I wouldn't mind doing it, again. Name anyone you want to have a support with, and we'll talk.

 **ShadowWolf223:** Nail is one of my favorite characters to write dialogue for, because he's so blunt and crass, he reals like a regular person in the _Fire Emblem_ universe. Meanwhile, Aladdin's deadpan makes him kind of funny.

Also, thanks for your OCs, by the way.

 **Roy:** Don't worry, this story's not dead. I just take a LONG time to write.

Alright, that's everything. Wait! I forgot _Night of Lore!_ ...Yes, I'm answering those reviews, here. Here goes!

 **Wandering dude 1:** The Ustrosi Thieves Guild, huh? Well, that's going to be the next topic, but it won't be as long as the topic of the complete history of Orobia. If anything, maybe 2 chapters, max.

 **Stitcher:** You are welcome. When you made Malsum, you made a character almost as old as the setting. It would have been a crime to NOT factor him in, somewhere. You even mention in his backstory he and his clan nearly took over Orobia, so he has the potential to have been a major threat if he felt like it. I just merely made his backstory part of the worldbuilding experience.

As for Rerci, I went into making this piece knowing that I wanted a goddess to truly shine, and what better way to make Her shine than by showing HOW She came to exist in the setting, and how gods can come from mortals. She didn't set out to be a goddess, but Rerci, in Her brief time on Orobia, was a miracle woman, and even then, She has some things in store.

 **Consort:** Malsum? Gargec? Stratreo? Rerci? You'll just have to see what I have in store.

But I can save you a lore chapter and explain which classes have which skills. Luna is still only Great Knights, Sol is still Heroes, Astra is still Swordmasters. BUT there IS a Skill Trainer that can reequip skills for characters, and certain weapons will allow for skills to be learned. Still, no character can have more than six skills at a time.

 **ZenoZen:** A character database? Well, that would be something constantly updated, but okay.

 **ShadowWolf223:** Thanks. I really wanted to get deep into it since I'm building a fictional world from the ground up.

Alright, that's really all for now! Farewell, my subjects!


	18. Tawni Chapter 4: Northbound Spirits

Tawni's Notes: Hey everyone, Tawni here! The author is currently dealing with working on his own science-fiction/fantasy story concept, _Explorers of a Cosmic Sea_ (working title), plus dealing his older dog Oreo's failing health, so he's a bit busy about updating _Night of Tales._ However, since it's my chapter, I decided to hijack this and update for him.

Sulaiman's Notes: Wait, are we allowed to do this?

Janiya's Notes: Who the heck cares? People are demanding updates!

Howe's Notes: And we'll do just that. Plus we'll also be answering what little reviews there are.

Tawni: Glad to see you guys are here. So, let's start with... Mawdood!

Sulaiman: Why him?

Tawni: Because I want to see the big bad of my adventures and what's he's up to before I do things.

* * *

 _Summary:_ _Tawni and her caravan, partially driven by her encounter with spirits and partially driven by the inability to ignore the war much longer, have decided to travel north to Rusnad until Cruibia opens up again. However, during a performance, Tawni has an ill-timed out-of-body experience when manaketes and brigands attack the town, seeking revenge against Guaril. Tawni must use her new powers to protect her loved ones..._

* * *

 **Tawni's Tale, Chapter 4: "Northbound Spirits"**

* * *

 **Kingdom of Ustros, Ruins of Un Nasa—Three Weeks After the Poswali Slavemaster Raid**

Once upon a time, when Orobia's humans started founding their own kingdoms, Ustros and Upril were once one nation. The capital of it was Un Nasa, a beautiful, powerful city, filled with gold, treasure, wines, and food, offered from all over the massive country. It one of humanity's greatest accomplishments. The city had lasted for a rumored 2,000 years after Rerci was sealed away, with a magical passphrase opening and closing the city to visitors.

Of course, that was before a major earthquake happened, courtesy of the first Poswali sultana's bid to rescue her best friend and lover from the clutches of the last Ugurbuhan sultan (who tried to make her his wife, something he really should NOT have done to Anbara Gerges' lover, Salma). The earthquake ravaged the great capital, killing thousands of people, most of the glorious bounty lost to the sands, and rendering the city in ruins. It was across the large quake line that the countries of Ustros and Upril were then formed… and the city was abandoned. Eventually, what was left of Un Nasa was buried under a sandstorm.

Naturally, the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, back when it was founded approximately 1,001 years ago during the Era of Sizah, found it to be an ideal place to set up a headquarters, when they unburied it and figured out the password: "Open, Sesame" to open, and "Close, Sesame" to close. Of course, back then, under the humble merchant turned thief Ali Baba, the guild was dedicated to providing the criminals of Ustros some sense of security and alliance, as well as a "protecting the weak" approach that would inspire Romani clans' rom baros like Guaril of today. However, as time grew and leaders changed, the Guild because a criminal organization that spread not only across the continent, but perhaps to the edges of the world. Now, Mawdood was in command, and the guild was a ruthless army of brigands, slavers, assassins, pirates, and murderers.

That's what a woman appearing to be in her early twenties about 5'7" with a well-developed figure, fair-skinned complexion, and long, wavy, light blue hair was walking into. She had yellow reptilian eyes and pointed, ridged ears, signaling her status as a manakete. She was wearing an outfit more suited for seafaring rather than desert travel, with a white, short-sleeved, off-shoulder blouse under a brown leather corset, white pants, dark brown boots, a red hip sash, and a brown leather choker necklace with a gold tube on the middle.

"Open, Sesame!" the manakete woman called up. The gate opened wide enough to let her through, and she walked inside to see the once glorious castle, now in serious disrepair… a bitter reminder of the current state of the Thieves Guild. Several more minutes of walking, later, and the manakete woman stood in the throne room, where a meeting led by Mawdood was already in progress.

"...And furthermore," the thief king said to one of his lieutenants, "tell that Botros boy if he wanted a bound genie to stay, he REALLY should have held onto her leash a little tighter. It's not our business to track down our products should the buyer lose it. He can whine all he wants, but unless he coughs up a lot more gold, it's on him, his brother, and his daddy. If you or anyone goes djinn hunting without gold in hand because he begs, I'll show you just what happened to Esmaeel! As for Sizah, she'll have her people, but those are the last troops I'm giving her. If she wants to wage a gods damn holy war and commit genocide, she can do so on her own!"

"Mawdood," the manakete frowned, "this isn't fair. You're holding court without your right hand? A shame, really!"

Mawdood groaned, turning off the astral plate, but turned to the manakete. "I was wondering why you weren't on the astral plates, Sheba. Where the hell have you been?"

"Keeping our foreign businesses afloat," Sheba, the right hand of the thief king, answered as she sat on her own throne. She pulled out a flask of ale, and took a sip. "Fun's fun, but somebody has to keep the coin flowing to keep the drink pouring, and we won't last long without foreign gold. But if you keep either driving away the pirate crews and letting them get blown up—"

"Zrisse was going to betray us over gold, and it was that damn Sirius Howe fellow who did it nearly three years ago," Mawdood defended himself. "You hate Howe more than anyone here, we'll deal with the damn privateer and the empire."

"—or keep antagonising gypsies over your bloody past with them," Sheba continued, "we're going to have problems keeping the guild in line. Their fear of you only allows me to indulge in my vices for so long. We actually have to work to keep the guild in order, you and I. As someone's who been doing this a lot longer than you, take it from me: you need more than threats to keep this ship afloat."

"Oh, yes," Viva said. "She's so beautiful, I keep forgetting our number two is over a thousand years old, Vova!"

"Well, she IS half-manakete, Viva," Vova said. "They age slower than humans. We'd all be old and gray, and she'd still look like a young adult."

"...I don't know whether to strangle the two of you for commenting on my age or thank you for complimenting my looks," Sheba said. Turning back to Mawdood, she said, "So, what silly little thing did you request this meeting for?" Guaril placed his real hand to the large astral plate in the middle of the meeting room, showing Guaril.

"My old friend Guaril has finally resurfaced, and it seems he didn't do so alone," Mawdood said.

"Oh my freaking gods, this again?" Sheba groaned. "Look, he cut your hand off and left you for dead. You kind of deserved it, you're much eviler than I am. And considering my past crimes, my hedonistic nature, and how despite the fact that I helped found the Thieves Guild and how I've let you treat this guild in the nearly twenty years of your rule, that's saying something. But my point is why is he so damn important?"

"It's important because Guaril is the only trickster who possibly knows how to trigger this." He then pulled out a golden fragment, and threw it on the table. "Do you know what this is that I had to pry from a queen's dead neck?"

"Some really shiny thing that if any of the kings of Orobia find you with it, we'll be facing the wrath of the entirety of Orobia?" Sheba answered.

"Well, yes," Mawdood said. "But that won't matter once it is with the rest of its kind, and reforged into the Fire Emblem."

"...No gods damn way," Sheba breathed. "A petty king of thieves who only got his crown through violent usurping like you? YOU have a fragment of the legendary Fire Emblem on your person, and you plan to get the REST of it? The last member to even CLAIM a piece was Ali Baba before he passed away, and we had to give it to Gargec to avoid His wrath."

"Yes," Mawdood said. "We both know the legends of Rerci and Her Fire Emblem… and how, once She's freed from Her prison, there's a good chance She'll be generous enough to grant whoever had the stones to free Her whatever wish they want. And considering the fact that She's half-dragon like you, Sheba, that means She's practically a goddess. One wish from Her will grant me the power to rewrite reality. Which will put me on top of EVERYONE, not just this den of thieves. The whole world will be mine to plunder from, and to defy me for even a SECOND will be punishable by death!"

"Most people, when they came to the Thieves Guild, had nowhere else to go," Sheba said, standing up. "You included… I saw the Roma characters on your back, I know what they mean. Ambition like that usually isn't seen around here, not since Ali Baba's brother, Cassim… you're incredibly lucky the rest of the leaders didn't see it until it was too late for them, because I knew several of them who would have cut your head off if they had even the slightest inkling of what drove you."

"I've always had the ambition," Mawdood said. "It was something that Guaril could never understand. It's what led to our falling out. But when we meet again, I'll make him understand. Which is why I'm doubling his bounty. And also, putting a bounty on this girl." He then showed an image of Tawni. "She looks so familiar," Mawdood said. "Take away the black streaks… and Guaril, you lying fox. You said you couldn't HAVE children…." He then looked at the bandit brothers, and said, "Viva, Vova, didn't I, five years ago, put you two in charge of keeping an eye on Guaril, and report EVERYTHING about him, no matter how trivial?"

"Y-Y-Yes you did, Boss," Vova nodded. "Didn't he, Viva?"

"He did, Vova, he did!" Viva gulped. "We're sorry, Boss! But we thought Guaril was no threat after you took a part in that massacre!"

"That may have been BEFORE he got in with the Cruibian royals," Mawdood said. "Because if I've heard right from my more loyal spies, the Cruibian crown princess is fixing to get married to the secondhand prince of Poswa, and she wants the Dighton clan to be in charge of entertainment. Not only does this marriage unite Poswa and Cruibia against our mutual 'former friends', the Argelians, but it puts Guaril in range to reveal certain truths to some royal ears. And Poswa has a powerful army that could challenge us. We, now more than ever, need him gone. As for his daughter… well, I think her tortured screams will be the perfect soprano melody to listen to as I perform Guaril's execution."

"You're going to not rest until Guaril's dead, I see," Sheba sighed. "Look, indulge in your revenge and love of bloodshed if it will be the only way to please you. Unless you actually have a reason for me to be here, I have a guild to maintain in spite of your negligence and ruthlessness." She got up.

"There IS something," Mawdood replied. "I'm planning a raid of a Rusnadi port town, and Argelia is kind of in the way. I could use your pirates."

"You do realize your definition of a raid is 'you destroy the docks and shipyards, take everything of value not nailed down, butcher every weak man and child in sight if they can't meet your steep price for life, enslave every able bodied soldier you capture, and steal the young, beautiful maidens for either a profit or your own pleasure until you get bored of them'." Sheba crossed her arms. She thought about it. She then sighed. "...I'll manage it, but you better be far away. We do this one my way."

"Of course," Mawdood said. "After all, I'm going to be a bit busy contacting a few… 'friends' of Guaril's. Who knows? Maybe they'll solve my problem for me." He then smirked. "I wonder if Niasge still has that desire for human meat?"

* * *

 **Kingdom of Poswa, Menourish Village—Three Days Later**

"Hmm," Nasira frowned, looking at the cards in front of her. The pair of women on the other side of her table—a sea green haired, small chested, teal-eyed, tanned skinned young woman about 18 years old wearing a white one-shoulder shirt over a red undershirt, light brown leggings, a pair of thick brown belts, a white hood, and brown boots, and a genie girl with tanned skin, red hair in an upward ponytail, a bright blue sapphire on her forehead, and brilliant red eyes wearing a green choli showing off her smooth stomach, matching shorts, and a pair of golden bracelets—watched in curiosity.

"Tell me that's a good sign, gal," the mint haired girl said.

"One does not simply rush fortune telling, Ulfah," her genie friend replied.

"I'm just worried about… well, ya heard about my last girlfriend. And how because my boyfriend before that cheated on me because I wasn't willin' to stay home and make dinner every single day. Look, Thesin, I'd gladly have a family, but I want to at least be 22 before my first pregnancy, and I sure as hell don't want to be expected to do all the domestic work."

Thesin blushed. "You want to have… a family…? The natural way?" Ulfah wrapped her arm around the genie girl's wide hips, and pulled her close, making her squeak.

"Damn right," the explorer answered. "I'll find a donor, Thesin." She then traced her girlfriend's smooth stomach, and said, "Don't worry… unless you wish to carry it, I'll be the one who does the deed."

"Um, well… that's nice… children, I mean," Thesin said. "Are you sure that you don't want to wish I carry it? Because I can grant that…."

"I'm sure," Ulfah said.

"I have your reading," Nasira chimed in, causing the two to turn. The blonde dark mage said, "As long as you believe in each other, your love will prove bountiful and passionate, rewarding you both. However, there will be dark, outside forces that drive the two of you apart, but not because they want you to suffer, but wish to stop what they believe to be evil. In that case, try to hold on, and even reach out for outside help. Once reunited, the only way to truly rebuild is with time."

"Really, miss gypsy?" Thesin asked.

"The Lovers Card do not lie," Nasira nodded. "They sense your passion for each other, and your anxiety. Your previous relationships were both... abusive, so you're taking baby steps. But I sense you two do enjoy each other's company." Standing up, she said, "Embrace that. Start with that, you two, and should fate separate you but reunite with you, remember: take your time."

"...Alright," Ulfah said. "Well, we have Thesin's object, so she should be okay." She looked at her girlfriend, and then said, "You were right. This was insightful."

"I told you fortune telling was fun," Thesin smiled. She then found herself kissing Ulfah. The explorer took out a coin pouch as she kissed the ifrit girl, and placed the money on Nasira's table. Ulfah broke the kiss, and dragged Thesin away, the genie squeaking.

"Farewell!" Nasira waved. She then looked at the gold coins, and smiled. It was at this point Kareem walked over.

"You know, I bet they would have paid MORE if you had left out the bad news," the red cavalier said.

"Fortune telling isn't about just sugar coating the reading," the dark mage said. "You have to tell the whole reading. Furthermore, they can read the sign, and I had Tawni and Himli both double-check the Orobian text. The price is non-negotiable. They pay for a full reading, and no refunds, whether fate is good or bad is up to the cards."

"Hey," Himli said as he, Tawni, and Jamal came over, holding a folded banner, a set of clothes, and a dance mat, respectively. "How are we coming along?"

"Hmm, I'm at about 1,800 Gold," Nasira said. "Tawni?"

"About 1,300 from my last dance," the girl said. "And from my storytelling, 3,400. So that's about 4,500."

"That leaves us with about 6,300 Gold from your acts," Jamal counted. "Add in the 14,000 we have unused for the caravan's budget, and we have 20,300 Gold. And we need about 100,000 for going to Argelia."

"Why are you guys worrying so much?" Node asked while she and Dobi came over.

"Well, passage for the entire caravan to Argelia on a ship for a round trip isn't easy to come by, especially during wartime," Tawni replied. "I made a promise to Himli that we'd rescue his family… and we may need to get involved in the war, anyway. But this promise requires a great deal of gold, and unless you two know where good treasure hunting locations are, this is what we do."

"Not really in Poswa," Dobi frowned. "Perhaps in the tombs of Rusnad…?"

"How about not there?" Tawni very quickly replied.

"Oh, right, your phobias of underground and caves," Kareem frowned. "I know you can do it, Tawni."

"Thanks, but it still worries me," Tawni frowned. "If no others exist. But I'd rather a more surface-based treasure. Such as perhaps… the Fire Emblem."

"The Fire Emblem!?" Himli asked. "That's a little ambitious, isn't it?"

"Ambitious, yes," Tawni admitted, "but sell it for the right price, and we'd all be set for life. We could have a real home for our people."

"But where would you get a magical sword?" Nasira asked. The group looked at the dark mage. "...It's not a sword in this world, is it?"

"No, it's supposed to be a magic lamp," Tawni giggled at her friend. "It's a sword where you come from?" Nasira nodded. "Well, you learn something new about the Outrealms." It was at this point, Guaril and Akiba came over. "Hello, Father, Mother. Did you all know the Fire Emblem can be other shapes in other worlds?"

"Really?" Akiba said. "Well, Rerci's greatest treasure WAS a magic lamp, so not too far fetched. I'd love to talk about the Seal of Flames, Nasira—"

"Tawni," Guaril said, changing the topic, much to his wife's disapproval, "I think we have time for one or two more performances of yours, today. We should get on the road."

"But rom baro," Jamal said, "we haven't been told to clear out, yet. We could still make a bit more of a profit, here."

"I don't think so," Guaril replied. "This is near manakete migration grounds this time of year, and I'd rather not be here if manakete brigands are nearby. Also, there's this." He held up a pair of posters, one of him, and one showing, to her surprise, Tawni. "Thieves Guild bounties."

"I just took them off a corpse of a Thieves Guild spy I caught sneaking around," Akiba replied while Tawni looked at hers. "We can't risk staying here in the less protected by nobles areas of Poswa for much longer. Not that I wanted to."

"...So, Thief King Mawdood knows about me?" Tawni asked. "And it says he wants me… alive only?"

"Most likely to torture me through hurting you," Guaril frowned.

"Torture you, Father?" Tawni asked. "What exactly did you do this Mawdood to get him after you?"

"It's more of what I DIDN'T do that led to this," Guaril said. "I promise, after your next performance and once we're on the road, I'll tell you."

"Okay," Tawni said. "It's finally SOME progress, Father."

"I know," the trickster admitted. "I'm a bit slow in my admittance, deșertul meu albastru a crescut {my blue desert rose}. Now, let's discuss your routine." He and Tawni walked to the side, while Himli looked around in worry. Jamal and Kareem, meanwhile, looked at the posters.

"You know, Tawni looks good in this poster," Kareem admitted.

"Of course that's where your concern lies," Jamal muttered. "But look at that price… 10,000 Gold? How much money thus Mawdood have to throw around if he's going after a girl he's never met?"

"Enough to know that we ought not to stay around a place for too long," Himli said. "Good thing plenty of Poswali villagers ain't desperate or crooked enough for going after us, but there may be a few soldiers and nobles who are willing."

"So," Nasira asked, "why is it that the rom baro is afraid of manaketes? I know they're shapeshifters capable of turning into giant dragons and, back when Orobia was young, they forced their way onto the continent and got genies to share Orobia with them, but why does he seem to hate them?"

"Well, I wasn't part of the caravan when it happened," Akiba said, "but recall the day you all performed for Duke Kamyar. Or at least, were going to, and then the play was interrupted by brigands. Duke Kamyar owed Guaril a favor because Guaril saved his life. For context, it was from a group of Poswali manaketes who Guaril rescued the duke from, deceiving them into eating non-human meat laced with a sedative material. Some of them may still hold a near thirty-year grudge. Can you blame Guaril for being cautious in manakete territory? Even the elders agree we might have overstayed our welcome in Poswa."

"Got to give Guaril credit," Dobe nodded. "Manaketes are dangerous without a wyrmslayer sword around."

"I prefer a dragonpike, myself," Akiba admitted. "Either that or a dragon axe."

"You mean there are weapons that can slay dragons besides wyrmslayers or the fabled dragon spirit scroll from places like Xuhua?" Nasira asked.

Before they could question it any further, Tawni walked back, holding Calypso and wearing a bright green one-shoulder blouse that completely bared her smooth midriff. She switched her traditional skirt for a pair of low, white harem pants and a jangly belt. Her headscarf was now white. She had kept her necklace from her regular outfit. And finally, her sandals were now light green.

"Alright, boys," Tawni said, "I need you to set up the banner one more time." She then noticed Himli, Jamal, and Kareem all staring at her. She giggled. "Boys, I know I normally don't charge you for looking, but I would like to have help setting up."

"Oh, right," Himli blushed. "That wasn't gentlemanly of me."

"Îmi pare rău, Tawni {Sorry, Tawni}," Jamal apologized. "Tu ești cu adevărat frumoasă, e tot {You truly are quite beautiful, is all}."

"I get it, I get it," Kareem said. "You just… normally wear a bit more, that's all."

"Pentru că nu ar trebui să-mi arăt trupul pentru a păstra alimentele pe plăcile noastre {Because I shouldn't need to show off my body to keep food on our plates}," Tawni said to them, hands on her hips. Handing Calypso to Akiba, she said, "Mother, can you watch Calypso for me?"

"Of course," the great knight smiled, petting the rabbit. Tawni then walked back to where her performance would be, followed by her friends.

Tawni, several minutes later, was performing in front of the gathered crowd. Meanwhile, a male mercenary about 19 years old walked in to watch. He was about 5'11", with amber eyes, and short black hair with small hints of red in it, the red being somewhat more natural than the black. He was wearing a red vest over his white shirt, and over that he wore a long black coat that had a split at the hips, making look like an inverted V. The coat was decorated with white fur at the wrists and collar, metal shoulder pads with red chains, and red wristbands on the sleeves. His pants with black with red lines going down the fronts. On his feet were black shoes with white stripes in the middle, and red stripes that connect to red circles at the top of the shoe. Finally, his outfit had multiple belts, and a pair of black fingerless gloves.

Another watcher was a girl with mid-back length green hair and tanned skin in a ponytail, about 15, about 5'2", petting her white camel. She was wearing a green and white sari dress that looked rather elegant gown that had small bits of dirt on it. Around her neck was a golden necklace, with a yellow gemstone inside of it. Her blue eyes were in awe of the performance. When the camel nudged her, she gave her a gentle look. "We'll just watch this, and get going," she whispered to the camel. "I promise."

With Tawni, she performed a twirl before spotting Jamal in the crowd. She coyly sashayed over towards him, brushing her fingers on his chin, before backing away… with his lance. Jamal blinked off his blush, noticing the lance, which Tawni threw, lancing pointed down in the middle of the crowd. She then performed a cartwheel that turned into a front flip, grabbing the handle of the lance, and twirling around it, finishing upside down, grinning with a flourish while coins fell near her.

"Vă mulțumesc foarte mult, doamnelor și domnilor {Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen}!" Tawni said, still upside down. "You've all been a…" She noticed the cloaked ghosts once again. And then her vision was starting to fade. Add in her purple gemstone starting to gleam, and Tawni knew something was amiss. "You've all been… uhh…." Her legs and right hand lost their group as everything went black for her, and she fell to the ground, causing the crowd to gasp.

"Tawni!" Jamal, Kareem, Nasira, and Akiba gasped, the great knight dropping her rabbit. Guaril quickly was at his daughter's side, Calypso being second and looking in worry. Akiba herself was third.

At this point, both of the above-mentioned audience members approached, the green-haired girl holding her staff. "Hey, is she going to be alright!?" the mercenary asked.

"With all due respect, sir," Kareem questioned as he and the rest of the combat-capable Romani approached, "who the hell are you? A bounty hunter?"

"Oh, I'm Sento Sieghart," he answered. "I'm not a bounty hunter. I'm more of a traveling mercenary, just came back to Orobia some time before. But we're wasting time here if she's hurt!"

"Doesn't seem like she hurt herself," the green-haired girl said. "At least, nothing I saw." Her necklace gleamed, and she saw a transparent Tawni laying on the ground. "Huh?" She then shook her head, and focused on Tawni's body. "Anyway, she seems… exhausted from my view. Something Grandma taught me."

"Tawni's been working a little too hard, lately, Guaril," Akiba said, holding her foster daughter bridal style. "We probably should have stopped after a couple performances, today!" She opened one of Tawni's eyes, only to see it shine. "That's… strange."

"Ce joc joci, steaua mea decolorată {What game are you playing, my faded star}?" Guaril muttered.

The green-haired girl said, "I can't really treat her, here, in the open. Is there a safe spot nearby?"

"I can summon a tent that will give you some privacy," Node said. With that, she channeled her magic, and a tent was put up.

"That works," the girl said. "Boys, stay out. Ma'am, bring her with me." Akiba nodded, following her. "Um… by the way, lady knight, I'm Arya."

"Akiba," the great knight nodded. The two plus Nasira and Node headed into the tent.

Guaril frowned, but stayed out with the boys. He, realizing that he hardly ever talked to Tawni's male friends, sat down, and said, "So… what do you boys enjoy?"

"Wait, are we having this conversation right now, rom baro?" Kareem asked.

"Look, as Tawni's father, I need to find some way to pass time other than worrying," the trickster admitted. "This hasn't happened before… at least, not since I gave her the necklace."

"How did you get the necklace?" Jamal asked. "It's beautiful, if you don't mind me saying."

"It's a long story…." Guaril began. "But I suppose I owe you all some bits of truth, after all we've been through." Before he could explain more, a roar echoed, and the sky darkened. Everyone looked above to see a few dragons flying above them. "Damn."

"Maybe they're different manaketes than the ones you've legendarily deceived," Jamal hoped.

 **"** **Guaril Dighton!"** A female fire dragon said as she landed in front of them. The dragon turned to her humanoid manakete form, a young-looking woman about as tall as Akiba, with bright pink hair in a long ponytail, all the way to her wide hips, pointed ears, a slight overbite, and angry green reptilian eyes. She was wearing a long red cape over her blue choli, matching harem pants, and black sandals.

"Maybe she and her female friends are single manaketes searching for mates who happens to have heard of your legendary wit, charms, and bravery, and wishes to see if the men of your caravan have the same traits?" Kareem questioned. Jamal groaned, and pointed at his brother.

"If you're here to kill us," he said, "kill him before you kill me."

"Te rog, frate {Oh, please, brother}," Kareem said. "Șansele ca ea să fie un manechet care are o pradă împotriva rom romo este {The odds that she's a manakete holding a grudge against our rom baro is}—"

"You owe my people a solid meal, buster!" the manakete woman scowled.

"...Aparent mai mare decât am crezut {Apparently higher than I thought}," Kareem finished. "Ei bine ... cel puțin vom fi uciși de o femeie frumoasă {Well... at least we're going to killed by a beautiful woman}."

"Fiecare femeie tânără singură este o femeie frumoasă pentru tine {Every young single woman is a beautiful woman to you}!" Jamal said, exasperated at his older brother.

"...What the hell is with those two?" the manakete asked, pointing at the two cavaliers.

"I unfortunately don't know much Romani, like Node does," Dobi said. "But I'm thinking, knowing Kareem's skirt chasing and Jamal's only sane man tendencies, that Kareem is undressing you with his eyes, and the Jamal's complaining about it."

"Oh," the manakete said. She then said, "I'm going to eat them both, the red one because he's a pervert, and the green one so he doesn't miss his brother for too long. The rest of you, I'll eat so you don't feel left out."

"Wow, this escalated, quickly," Sento said. He then turned towards Guaril, and asked, "So, what's the plan?" He then realized Guaril had already left, and Himli was frantically running. "Oh, the plan was probably 'run', wasn't it?"

"Probably," the twins both said before whistling, and their camels came to them. They quickly got on, grabbed Dobi and Sento, and immediately rode off. The manakete fumed.

"No fair!" she said. "I didn't order this meal to go!"

* * *

 **Astral Realm**

Tawni rubbed her head as she sat up from her tumble. She then looked around, spotting her people crowd around her… only to see her body carried away. She then looked at herself, and gasped that she was once more in her spiritual form… although she was in her regular outfit. _"Again with this spirit thing?"_ she questioned.

 _"_ _It's kind of weird, I'll admit,"_ a female voice chimed in. Tawni looked and spotted the cloaked figure from before next to her. _"It's been too long, Tawni."_

 _"_ _You said you knew me before,"_ Tawni said, _"but I barely know anything about you…."_

 _"_ _You were very, very young when we first met,"_ the woman explained. _"Practically a baby. Oh, Guaril loved showing you off to others, calling you… un pustiu albastru a crescut {little blue desert rose}."_

 _"_ _Aw, that's so sweet!"_ a voice chimed in. The two turned to see one of the other spirit women gushing at the story. The others looked at her. _"Who would have thought that the notorious trickster, Guaril Dighton, would be an energetic father?"_

 _"_ _Hey, children changed me,"_ her friend said. _"Before mine, I didn't really care too much about things outside my older brother, you and the rest of the girls, and getting money. You were always the people woman."_

" _That she was,"_ the third of the trio giggled.

 _"_ _I keep forgetting you're part genie,"_ the older woman groaned. _"Can you girls let the woman either have her moment with the girl or just tell her what she needs to know in peace?"_

 _"Nope!"_ all three smiled.

 _"M'lady, you should show some respect,"_ the youngest of the spirits chimed in.

 _"_ _I see your friends are still hanging around,"_ Tawni observed. _"So… what is this about?"_

 _"_ _Honestly,"_ the spirit close to Tawni said, _"I wished to discuss things with you… about your father."_

 _"_ _Father?"_ Tawni questioned. " _How did you first meet him?"_

 _"_ _Guaril saved my life when we were both rather young,"_ the woman said. _"My home was destroyed by the Rusnadi Pharaoh, and my entire family was horribly killed. Had he not been in the area, I would not have survived."_

 _"_ _Pharaoh Ammon did that!?"_ Tawni asked. _"Wait… he had to have been between 10 or 13 at the time. I don't think he had that much power."_

 _"_ _I was talking about a different pharaoh,"_ the woman said. _"Ammon was actually rather nice, and loved me for YEARS, even after I briefly forgot about him."_

Before Tawni and the spirit could speak further, a female voice said, "How is she?"

Tawni recognized the voice. _"Mother?"_ she asked, looking around. The spirit seemed a little surprised, but then looked down, not caught by Tawni.

"Her soul seems to be out of her body, but her heart is still beating," another voice, this one she didn't recognize, said. However the oldest spirit seemed to gasp.

 _"_ _Oh dear… that's not a good thing,"_ she said.

 _"_ _What's wrong, m'lady?"_ the youngest of the spirits asked.

 _"_ _If I recognize that voice, child,"_ the oldest spirit said, _"then something terrible has happened to Upril."_

 _"_ _Upril?"_ Tawni asked. _"I thought Argelia had all but conquered Upril and Ustros. Rusnad itself hasn't fared very well, either."_

 _"_ _That's not what I was talking about,"_ the eldest woman said. _"...There are people in Upril I personally cared for. One of which was my—"_

"Akiba!" Guaril's voice interjected in the real world. "I'm sorry to interrupt, young lady, but is there any way to treat Tawni while moving?"

"Um… why?" the young girl asked.

"Well, a group of manaketes under the fiery Niasge are now after us," Guaril said. "And I think I spotted a group of Ustrosi Thieves Guild brigands in the area."

 _"_ _Okay,"_ Tawni said, looking at the others, _"as interesting of a conversation this is, I should probably get back to my body…."_

 _"_ _I'm afraid it's going to be rather difficult,"_ the first spirit said. _"Because you were briefly moved and there's a battle going on, it may be a bit too dangerous for you to join back up to your body."_

 _"_ _So how am I supposed to protect myself, my clan, and my parents from manaketes that can turn into giant dragons and brigands if I can't be in my body!?"_ Tawni asked.

 _"_ _Well, I'm glad you asked,"_ the woman said. _"While I'm no longer able to do anything, you still can. Let's clear this up… and see what the world has in store."_ She waved her hands, and she and Tawni vanished, leaving the other spirits to themselves.

 _"_ _So, if I might be so bold, m'lady, how exactly do you know that young healer?"_ The youngest of the group asked.

 _"_ _Let's just say my son gave me a LOT to think about, but she was my favorite."_

 _"_ _Oh, right,"_ the last one of the three friends said. _"Your son never actually learned to control his hormones, did he?"_ The old woman grumbled in response.

* * *

 **Menourish Village Outskirts**

Tawni's spirit and the spirit woman both appeared back into the real world to see Akiba holding Tawni's body while on her camel. The woman looked in mild surprise at Akiba's maternal concern, but the two were thrown out of their reverie as a group of manaketes and even some Thieves Guild showed up to hound them as well.

"Thieves Guild AND dragons!?" Arya questioned.

"Well, the first is normal for us," Jamal admitted. "But the second, well… that's a new challenge."

"You guys are in luck that I was wandering around here, to help out people," Sento said, drawing a wyrmslayer. "I can handle a few dragons." Looking around, he said, "Maybe there are a few trinkets around for you guys in the houses here that you can use. As long as you beat the rogues to them, you should be okay to warn the homeowners to lock up."

"Excellent idea," Guaril said. "We could use the muscle… Sento, right?" Sento nodded with a grin.

"Don't let them get away!" the lead manakete woman, most likely Niasge, demanded. "I'm not letting that meal slip out of my hands, this time! And if you try to leave, Guaril… well, I hope you're ready to let these people be a meal in your place!"

"Okay, seriously," Kareem said, "your desire to eat people isn't helping anyone find you attractive! You are pretty and you're going to stay that way for thousands of years! Take advantage of it! Cool your jets, live life, fall in love! Stop trying to eat people and be crazy!"

"I have never tasted non-Poswali human before, and I'll be DAMNED if I'm denied any longer!" Niasge scowled.

 _"_ _Nu știu ce-o să-l omoare pe Kareem mai întâi {I don't know what's going to get Kareem killed first},"_ Tawni complained. _"Gura sau hormonii lui {His mouth or his hormones}."_

The spirit with her asked, _"Deci este prietenul tău {So, is he your boyfriend?}"_

 _"_ _Nu, dar e un prieten care este un băiat. Fratele său gemene este mult mai tolerabil {No, but he's a friend who's a boy. His twin brother is far more tolerable}."_ She then asked in Orobian, _"So… how can I help them? Manaketes aren't known for going down, easy. And then there's Thieves Guild. I don't know what I can do as a spirit."_

 _"_ _As a walker of the physical and astral planes,"_ the woman explained, _"you're not COMPLETELY helpless, Tawni. And your thieving skills are surprisingly useful for this. Remember that pickpocketing ability you have?"_ Tawni nodded. _"You now can steal something that's not exactly tangible until its made tangible while in this state…"_

 _"_ _Wait… are you talking about… magic!?"_ Tawni questioned. The woman nodded.

 _"_ _Little known fact about manaketes,"_ the woman told her. _"They actually DO use magic, not too far off from the djinn. However, their magic is them having their ability to transform and use elemental dragonbreath, and binding their power into stones."_

Tawni realized it. _"So, I can steal the magical power out of stones and tomes, rendering shapeshifters and magi without the means to channel their power."_ Looking at a nearby manakete, she said, _"I better try this out."_ She floated over to the manakete, and poked her hand at the stone, feeling the warmth. She then found her hand going into the stone, before pulling back… and holding a ball of fire. _"Whoa, it worked!"_

 _"_ _Now, don't forget to release that magic on your foes,"_ the spirit smirked.

Tawni turned towards a pair of Thieves Guild barbarians rushing towards Jamal and Himli. She scowled, and threw the fireball, hitting the two barbarians… and in the real world, the barbarians suddenly found their clothes catching on fire.

"What the hell!?" one of the barbarian screamed, beginning to roll around to put out the flames. Everyone else was surprised.

"Not to look a gift camel in the mouth, but, what just happened?" Jamal questioned.

"I know," Arya said. She looked at where Tawni's was, and said, "Miss Tawni… are you with us right now?"

 _"_ _You can see me?"_ Tawni asked.

"Yes," Arya said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Arya Qureshi, from Upril. You seem to be astral projecting… an ability said to be a part of something else. My ability is part of that set… I can heal without having full power with a staff, but it comes at the cost of my own strength. Should my staff ever run out, I can sacrifice some of my life energy to heal others. So I will need protecting if your allies get injured."

 _"_ _Understood,"_ Tawni agreed. _"I'll do everything I can on my side."_

"Thank you!" Arya smiled. "If we live through this, I'll explain more!"

"But Tawni's right here," Himli said, looking at Tawni's body.

"Well," Arya explained, "Tawni's spirit is on the astral plane. I can see her. She's currently supporting us."

"Support you all she wants," the manakete (that Tawni stole the magic power from earlier) taunted. Holding up her stone, she called, "It won't save you guys from being roasted for our tastes!" She tried to transform, but looked at her stone. "Um… what?" the manakete questioned. She tried again. "Why am I NOT a dragon?"

"...Tawni, you magnificent girl," Guaril smirked. He quickly borrowed one of Tawni's daggers, and slashed the back of the struggling manakete before kicking her down, sending her tumbling. Sento, meanwhile, used his sword skills to slay another manakete with the wyrmslayer. Akiba looked at her stepdaughter's sleeping body, and smiled.

With said stepdaughter's spirit, she was floating towards a dark mage, and looked at his spellbook. She reached in, and held a ball of wind. She then noticed a pegasus knight with the Thieves Guild. It was a shame to see such an esteemed career with the scum of Orobia, but she was heading for a distracted Nasira, who was doing everything she, Dobi, and Node could to protect Ayra who was healing Kareem (who had taken a nasty cut from one of the manaketes who could still turn), and blasted the incoming pegasus knight with the wind, knocking her off her steed. The pegasus fell down, two, but at least it had a better landing than its rider.

 _"_ _You really seem to have a knack for this,"_ the woman complimented Tawni.

 _"_ _Noi, romii, ne vom proteja întotdeauna {We Romani will always protect our own},"_ Tawni answered.

 _"_ _Și dacă ar trebui, vom proteja și pe alții {And should we need to, we will protect others,}"_ the woman replied. Tawni blinked, but turned back to the battlefield, where her foster mother and Sento had arrived at one of the homes.

"Manaketes!?" the boy at the home gasped at the situation. "And they're not the friendly kind!? By Rerci…!"

"Hey, don't bring religion into this!" Sento scowled. "Just lock up."

"Oh, right!" the boy said. "Um, still… I should thank you for letting me know." He looked around, and said, "Hey, would this work?" He pulled out a dragonpike. "This was going to be a gift for the village hero, Zayn, but I'm sure he won't mind. He's out training his daughter right now."

"This WOULD work," Akiba said, grabbing the pike. "Thank you, young man. Now please, get to safety, and whatever you do, do NOT open up for the manaketes or Thieves Guild." He nodded, and closed the door, locking it while Akiba scowled at Sento. "'Don't bring up religion'."

"I'm not a fan of gods," Sento admitted. "Besides we don't really have time for this."

"Right," Akiba agreed. "You and I are now the caravan and town's best hope for defeating these manaketes."

"Right," Sento said. "Your passenger still okay?"

"Yes," Akiba said, looking at Tawni's still unconscious body. "I'll have to find a spot where she'll be safe if I'm going to fight, but once I do… these dragons are going to PAY with more than their LIVES for going after my clan." She then rode off to store away Tawni in a nearby tent.

 _"_ _Go Mother,"_ Tawni smiled. She then headed after another manakete's magic, stealing it and then unleashing the spell into the dark mage who was wondering why his wind magic wasn't working. This allowed Sento to safely slash the confused manakete down. _"Asta a fost pentru a face mai rău lui Jamal mai devreme, ardei iute cu chifle, cu pieptene {That was for hurting Jamal earlier, you scale-skinned, fork-tongued chili pepper}!"_

 _"_ _Ooh, is Jamal your boyfriend?"_ the woman asked.

 _"_ _...I'm closer to him than I am Kareem, by my own admission,"_ Tawni said.

"Tawni's doing a number on them from the astral plane," Node observed. She then looked at Arya healing Dobi, and said, "And you can keep track of her?"

"Yes," Arya said after finishing healing. "Before my grandfather sent me south, he told me that this necklace is to be protected BECAUSE of its… unusual nature."

Meanwhile, Niasge growled at Guaril, who was standing nearby a fence. "Damn you, trickster!" she spat. "I don't know what scheme you're pulling, taking away our transformations, but you're not going to get away with it!"

"Look, Niasge," Guaril said, slightly adjusting his stance, "it's been what, 30 years? It's not doing anyone any good holding a grudge like this. If you want to eat Cruibians, the border is a couple weeks away, there was no stopping you from going after Cruibians after you had your appetizer."

"An appetizer laced with drakoroot, KNOWING that stuff knocks out dragons, half-dragons, and wyverns!" Niasge growled, holding up her dragonstone and assuming her draconic form. Tawni's spirit began flying towards Niasge, determined to save her father. **"And that's not even MENTIONING that Cruibia's under a strict quarantine!"**

"Wait, what?" Arya asked.

"That's new," Sento said.

"I think I heard about that," Dobe said. "Cruibia's got a problem with a mad ancient genie and Argelians that they're dealing with. They're not opening up so she doesn't break out."

 **"** **Well if that's who I think it is,"** Niasge said, **"I'm not going to Cruibia, anytime soon! I'll just take the hundreds of pounds of flesh that YOU owe me, Guaril!"**

"If you want to eat anyone," Guaril replied, "then eat ME! I was the one who denied you Cruibians. Nakia thought it was too dangerous to sneak into your cave to acquire any and all ill-gotten riches you had taken and Mawdood's idea to just kill the Cruibians you captured so they wouldn't… what were that bastard's words, again? 'Struggle on the way down'? And I didn't listen to either of them and HAD to play the lovable rogue hero, because that's just who I am! Leave these people, my caravan, and ESPECIALLY my family out of this!"

 **"** **Oh, your family?"** the manakete leader asked. **"Oh, don't worry… I won't CHEW when I eat them and the rest of your clan! But thank you for letting me know Mawdood tried to con me! Your old partner will join you in my stomach!"**

With that, Niasge charged Guaril. However, Guaril threw down a massive smoke bomb, disappearing mere seconds before she crashed through the fence. When Niasge got out of the smoke, she found herself careening towards a river. However, she began flapping her wings to avoid crashing into it… only to find Guaril now on her back, holding a wyrmslayer of his own. Or rather, Sento's wyrmslayer. Sento himself looked to see Guaril's steel sword on his hip instead.

"When did he do that?" Sento asked.

"That was a big smoke bomb," Arya said, wiping her dress free of soot.

Guaril took this time to slice Niasge's back, severing her wings. While the dragon roared in pain, she and Guaril fell. She turned her neck towards him to try to both eat and burn him, but she suddenly turned to normal, seeing her dragonstone lose its glow… and a fireball fly harmlessly away into the river, letting Niasge and Guaril land into the river, turning it mildly red with Niagse's and Guaril's blood (he had cut himself on the way down). Guaril weakly crawled out of the river.

"That… was something," Guaril said, panting as he laid down on his back. "Tawni, if you can hear me… good job catching onto my plan."

 _"_ _Iți mulțumesc tată {Thank you, Father},"_ Tawni smiled. However, the joy was interrupted as Niasge crawled out of the river, standing atop of Guaril. _"Oh no!"_

"You… damn you, Guaril!" she growled. "I will—!"

 ** _SHNNK!_**

Niasge gasped as she found the tip of a thrown lance had embedded itself in her stomach. "And this is why you cover yourself up, ladies and gentlemen, if you're going into battle," Akiba said as she climbed off her camel. Akiba moved Guaril out of the way before she ripped out her dragonpike from Niasge's stomach, letting her kneel as she struggled to cover her wound. "Underbelly of a dragon is one of the softest spots on the body, just like with a human's. Easiest target to go for when dragonslaying."

"...That accent," Niasge barely gurgled. "Cruibian…?" She then fell back into the river, dead. The other manakates remaining very quickly scattered.

"Cruibian, Romani, knight, it doesn't matter what I am," Akiba said. "All that matters is you targeted people I care about. I'd say 'don't do that', but that's a waste of my breath." She then turned to Guaril, and called, "Somebody get a healer over here!"

"Right!" Arya said while she rode over on her camel. She got off, and, rather than use her staff, she concentrated her energy and let it wash over Guaril while she was being drained.

"Thank you, young lady," Guaril said. He then gasped as Akiba knelt down and hugged him. Tawni smiled at the scene before looking at the spirit woman who mentored her… and noticed that she seemed sad.

 _"_ _Are you okay?"_ she asked.

 _"_ _I guess he was right about how much watching something like this hurts,"_ the woman said. _"Tawni… I have much to teach you, much to tell you, but I'm afraid even my power has limits with the end of my physical body. Which is why, no matter what happens next, I need you to head north… to Rusnad."_

 _"_ _Rusnad,"_ Tawni breathed. _"You know, the day before we first started having these conversations, I heard Father arguing with the elders of the caravan about the Rusnadi pharaoh, and some members of the Thieves Guild was interested in sending me to him. Were you… ugh…."_ Tawni then fell backwards, exhausted. The spirit was by her side at an instant while she lost consciousness.

 _"_ _It seems you're still too weak to keep this form up for too long,"_ the woman said, picking the girl up. _"Să te întorc înapoi, trandafir albastru {Let's get you back to you, blue rose.}"_ She then floated towards where Tawni's body was.

When Tawni eventually recovered hours later, (and changed back to her regular clothes from her bedlah), the young gypsy found her father sitting down next to the destroyed fence. "Are you okay, Father?" Tawni asked, sitting by him. "Can I have a word with you?" He hugged her. "Și eu mi-a fost dor de tine, tati {I missed you, too, Daddy}."

"I… owe you a LOT of words," Guaril answered. "Where to start…?"

"Um, Sir Dighton? Lady Dighton?" a female voice interjected. The two Romani looked to see Akiba approaching with a nervous-looking Arya.

"Oh, hello, Arya," Tawni smiled. "Thank you again for helping us." Arya nodded. "But we're not nobles or knights… we're Roma."

"You're not a masquerading noble or a knight?" Arya asked, legitimately confused. "It's rather weird to see a commoner with THAT hanging around their neck." She looked at Akiba, and asked, "Lady Akiba… are you sure about this?"

"It's okay, m'lady," Akiba assured her. "My husband may be a Romani trickster, but he's a gentle soul when family and innocents are not in danger. As for my foster daughter, she's a sweetheart, as well. And you've seen our people in action."

Arya politely bowed. "I… would like to hire you and your caravan!"

"What?" Guaril and Tawni both asked.

"Well, to protect me, at least," Arya said. "At least, until I either reunite with my father, grandfather, aunt, and older brother or I'm of age to properly rule Upril! I will see you paid handsomely well for your sacrifice, I promise!"

"Whoa, whoa, let's start over," Tawni interjected. "What do you mean 'of age to properly rule Upril'? And what do you mean by 'hire us'? Who are you, Arya?"

Arya, blushing, answered, "Allow me to properly introduce myself, now that we're no longer in immediate danger." She cleared her throat as the rest of the caravan's fighters combatants. "I am… well, technically, I'm Arya Qureshi. My father is… or was, I'm not sure if he's still alive, but his name is Crown Prince Khai Ghannam of Upril, my grandfather is King Barruti Ghannam of Upril, my aunt is Princess Auset Ghannam, and my eldest brother is Prince Darwishi Tahan of Upril."

"...What!?" almost everyone either not from Upril (Dobi and Node) and not over 30 (Guaril and Akiba) questioned.

"You're a princess?" Tawni asked with a gentle curtsy, followed by Nasira and Node while Dobi politely bowed for a moment. Himli scrambled to a knee. He then looked at the others.

"Um, ain't ya'll gonna kneel?" Himli questioned. "We're in the presence of royalty!"

"Noi romani ne poate pleca din respect față de regali, dar nu îngenunchează {We Roma may bow out of respect to royals, but we don't kneel}," Guaril said with a small bow. Node translated for him, making Himli scratch his head. "Besides, Uprilian royals don't really care for bowing outside of formalities. Especially when they're masquerading as vagabonds."

"But what did she mean by all of those titles and 'eldest brother'?" Sento questioned. "Also, why is her last name different than her father, and her brother's?"

"Oh, right!" Node recalled. "Non-Uprilians wouldn't know, but the crown prince of Upril is a very open lover with many, many conquests, and many… illegitimate children. Gods know how many notches he has on his bedpost in terms of women. At least as many children he has… which I have lost count."

"At least twenty of us," Arya answered.

"And what are you doing this far south of Upril?" Tawni questioned.

"The capital of Ducolar has fallen under Argelian rule thanks to a man known as Minister Abay of Argelia, who works for a woman named Duchess Avdin, a high-ranking Argelian commander," Arya answered. "My mother and Aunt Auset convinced Grandfather to scatter the… well, royal children, and sent us with detachments. I… lost mine to the Argelians when I was escaping. And I have no idea where the others are. My only hope originally was to try to convince the southern royals to help protect me, but Cruibia is busy confronting its own crisis, and I have nothing to offer the Poswali royals. I have no gold on me right now, no real claim to the Uprilian throne, and offering my hand will probably not work. I'm too young to consider marrying Prince Aladdin, and Prince Sulaiman, while closer to my age…."

"Isn't trustworthy?" Kareem finished for her. "You know the story of Poswali spare princes."

"No, he's already promised his hand to Princess Yasmin of Cruibia… provided she survives what has cut off Cruibia from the rest of the world," Arya said. "So far, the second born prince has yet to do anything to earn the stigma that Aseel created. Also, he's… kind of handsome."

"Yeah, he is," Tawni smiled. Guaril raised a concerned eyebrow towards his daughter. "Father, we're performing at his wedding. We've been gathering information about Poswali traditions, remember?"

"Right," Guaril said.

"You're attending Prince Sulaiman and Princess Yasmin's wedding?" Arya questioned. "My luck! Please, let me join you at least until we meet them! If I attend, I can perhaps attempt to convince the southern royals to aid Upril!"

"I'm going to have to consult the elders about your ultimate request," Guaril admitted, "but I won't say 'no' to welcoming one with your healing abilities. Being the sole healer of a caravan has been rather taxing." He shot a look at the rest of the party save for Sento, who all nodded.

"We'll promise to not tell those outside of our little inner circle who you are, m'lady," Node said.

"I'll remind her," Dobi said.

"Thank you, but please, don't call me 'Princess', even in moments like this," Arya insisted. "I'm not very good at the whole 'royal' thing."

"Then I suggest better hiding the Fire Emblem fragment around your neck," Guaril said. "The less attention you attract between now and the wedding, the better."

"I will," Arya said. "Thank you, Sir Dighton."

"That's one piece of business taken care of," Tawni said. She then looked at Sento. "So, I take it we're hiring the mercenary?"

"Less hired and more 'volunteered'," Sento said. "I figure hanging out with you all will allow me to help more people out in this war between the Orobian nations and the Argelian Empire. If I don't help, who will?"

"Your dialect… it's not Orobian, but not Argelian, Xuhuan, or Giussean," Nasira said. "It almost sounds similar to my own, but slightly different. You're an Outrealmer, like me."

"Yeah, born in a place called 'Ylisse', but came to Orobia," Sento said. To Tawni, he said, "I have to admit, I'm drawn to your caravan's music. It's very addicting." Tawni smiled with a nod.

"Welcome to the caravan, both of you," Tawni said.

* * *

Tawni's Notes: And curtain!

Janiya's Notes: Wait a gods damn minute. You have new party member whose a troubadour... who happens to have a Fire Emblem fragment and a royal? And she's NOT the protagonist of that campaign!?

Tawni: Well, I AM the blue-haired protagonist, and this isn't the first time in _Fire Emblem's_ history that a nobody like me is the star. If Ike was here, I would request a handshake or a high five. But let's be real, if any campaign needed a more mobile healer besides Father, it was mine. And let's not forget about KazeNoKishiX's character, Sento, originally named Mitsuji. He's a mercenary part of our group. You know mercenaries... swor-users that are typically lords-lite in most titles.

Howe's Notes: I'm more worried about the fact that my greatest failure is hanging out around you and staring me in the face. Also, you have astral projection powers?

Sulaiman's Notes: It's not that different from Yasmin's power to see the most likely move your enemy is going to make, which will show up in Janiya's next chapter... plus your ability to control your ship, and my power to use my dark self as a second move that will show up later.

Tawni: Prince Sulaiman, spoilers!

Janiya: So, what was that about Captain Howe's greatest failure?

Howe: Um... quick, reviews!

Janiya: Ugh, fine, we'll answer those. *Reads the first one* Yeah, Sulaiman, no offense, but LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green's right, your country's politics stink.

Sulaiman: None taken, Lucifer and Janiya. Poswa has been rather traditionalistic for way too long. But still, my father will get off that throne of his for a moment, and while he does prefer Aladdin, he has shown me some affection.

Howe: But that Zahar character is scum, I'll agree. He hates you for very little reason, bordering on Iago from _Fates._ I mean, there's paranoid, and then there's too paranoid to the point of extorting innocent wyvern knights and trying to have you killed.

Tawni: Why do I feel slightly worried and interested about meeting his older son at the same time? His younger son actually seems worse than him, somehow.

Sulaiman: Yes, I've met Khalid at a party, once, and he was not exactly very pleasant. Zaid is actually quite nice to be around, but he has a type, Miss Tawni. But don't worry, he's actually a gentleman.

Tawni: You better not be lying to me, Prince Sulaiman.

Sulaiman: You have my word. Moving onto Consort... wow, that's actually a nice compliment to being compared to a real lord. Although yes, I admit I'm sort of inspired by Corrin, I hope I'm written very well. As for my inner darkness, yes. He's less demonic possession, and more Celebrimbor from the _Middle-Earth: Shadow_ series mixed with a shoulder devil.

Dark Sulaiman's Notes: _**But only without the ability to banish my counterpart from death, so he's just as mortal as anyone else.**_

Tawni: Oh hi, Dark Sulaiman.

Dark Sulaiman: _**...What.**_

Sulaiman: She can see you because of her astral projection abilities.

Howe: I'm just going to move on for everyone, here. Yeah, it is pretty early game. But no, Tufha isn't someone else's OC... she's just a roaming boss everyone here will, at one point or another, will have to fight to recruit her.

Janiya: Okay, so we have ShadowWolf223, next. Glad you enjoyed the two chapters with my prince counterpart, here. But what was that about a pink camel?

Sulaiman: Sakaki is a jokester, plain and simple. He may be my army's tactician, countered by Captain Howe's Vice Captain, you having Commander Il-Hazaad, and Miss Tawni has... huh. Miss Tawni, who IS your tactician?

Tawni: Oh, right! ...Don't have one, yet! I'm just winging it, but the spirit who I keep meeting seems to be filling the role.

Sulaiman: Well, anyway, yes, Sakaki is our group's tactician, but he's less serious outside of combat than most.

Tawni: Fair. Now, this Ike, I'm not one-hundred percent sure is THE Ike from Tellius, but I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters. But hey! Lady Janiya has to wait for a bit before she gets to have another chapter/chance to crush us in the polls! Lady Janiya, why are you so good at the polls?

Janiya: I honestly don't know! The author was originally reluctant to write for me! But maybe the fact that I'm a mix of Chrom's reluctant royal, Lyndis' awesome, and Eliwood's hair color plus the fact that I can use magic! Either that or I have the best starter villain!

Howe: You can't really beat a powerful genie hellbent on revenge in terms of villains.

Sulaiman: You're just upset I actually managed to beat you for once.

Howe: Damn right I am. Now ZenoZen, the author will have to remember which character is yours before he works them into the story. But once he does, we'll get back in touch with you.

Tawni: But anyway, this chapter took a while because we wanted it to be perfect PLUS the fact that we wanted to make full use of both my new power and Sento's skills with a sword. There's also the fact that I'm going to have an entire chapter of supports after this.

Howe: Oh come on! I have to wait AGAIN!?

Sulaiman: Yes, but you have the best action sequence that matters the most in terms of the war.

Howe: ...That's a mildly acceptable tradeoff.

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Alright, time to upload and... what are you guys doing here?

Tawni: You're welcome! *Tosses down a smoke bomb, everyone disappears but the author*

Huh... So everything is done. Well, I guess I'll just upload this and Tawni's group supports. Farewell, subjects!


	19. Tawni and Company Supports, Round 1

A/N: Ah, I have another round of supports for you. This time, Tawni and the people of her caravan have a round. This time, I had to do all of these by myself, because I forgot to get in contact with KazeNoKishiX and ask if he wanted to do supports with Sento. Oh well, let's do this!

 **EDIT:** It had occurred to me when I was making this, I completely forgot one other support. It's in, now.

* * *

 **Tawni and Company Supports, Round 1**

* * *

Tawni and Nasira were one day cleaning up the campgrounds. "Thanks again for helping with this," Tawni said.

"Well, it's no problem," Nasira said. "There are not too many women in the caravan around our age, and you're the only one who's willing to talk with me sometimes. You even taught me Orobian."

"And we're still working on Romani, despite the fact that you know Xuhuan," Tawni said. "Yet your hair color and your dialect are both dead giveaways you're NOT from Xuhua. I know you don't like talking about your homeland, but… where are you from? I'm sorry, I'm curious."

"...Well, you HAVE been looking into origins of your own," Nasira observed. "Fine, I do owe your hospitality some answers." She then pulled out a black and yellow book, and said, "Have a look at this." Tawni grabbed the book, and squinted.

"'Nublia'…." Tawni read. "That's an interesting name."

"It means 'Night Storm'," Nasira translated. "I keep forgetting that you're not from Nohr, so you have no real translation of this in Orobia."

"Nohr is your homeland, right?" Tawni questioned. "What's it's like?"

"Surprisingly dark due to heavy cloud coverage, not as hot and sandy as Orobia, and hard on vegatation and farmers," Nasira said. "Partially why I came to a place like Orobia was, despite it having great magic schools, is because it's depressing-looking. No offense meant to the royal family of the Dusk Dragon."

"Dusk Dragon?" Tawni asked. "Is that one of your worlds' gods? No offense, but it's kind of a generic name."

"No offense taken," Nasira agreed. "But yes, the Dusk Dragon in one of my worlds' gods, specifically the one worshipped and shared blood with the royal family of Nohr, granting them great power."

"Well, at least your dragon gods shared their blood with SOME humans to grant them power," Tawni smiled. "The dragon gods of Orobia didn't do that, especially not Gargec's younger brother, Stratreo. He genuinely wanted humanity and every non-draconic being destroyed. Even Gargec didn't trust mankind enough to choose humans to infuse with His blood before humanity locked up Rerci." She then thought about it, and said, "Wait, I feel like we've gotten off-topic. What about your tome?"

"Oh, yes," Nasira said, looking at her book. "Well, I figured that, when the day comes that I have to return to Nohr, I would bring with me an incredible rainstorm that would revive the land. The problem is, inventing magic that can manipulate the weather is an incredibly difficult task."

"Then I'll help you with it," Tawni answered, placing her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Ai cuvântul meu, prietene {You have my word, my friend}."

"Thank you, Tawni," Nasira smiled back. "With, well… whatever you said."

"Oh, right, you don't know Romani that well," Tawni sheepishly replied. "Well, I said that you have my word, my friend."

"Oh," Nasira nodded. "Well again, thank you." After they finished up, Nasira said, "Well, I'd better get packed up so I'll ready to try the rain spell the next place we set up camp."

"Alright, but be quick!" Tawni said. She then headed off to pack her own tent.

Nasira walked towards her own tent, but she noticed the door was flapped open… and an envelope was at the door of it. "Hm?" Nasira asked. She then knelt down, and read the name on it. "'Lorraine'?" She then gasped, and said in a foreign language, "Quam ad Margaritam Orobia !? Quae quidem mihi tam cito invenire Quam !? Im 'apud viatores nomades ad tempus vernum Draco eruit {How did Marguerite even come to Orobia!? How did she find me so quickly!? I'm with a clan of gypsies, for the Dusk Dragon's sake}!" She then shook her head, and scowled. "No! Ego sum Margarita, nee ulla iam control meae! Habeo domum novam, et nunc, et finis nobilis! Libera me quod volo facere, et illa non cogere me sequi tenebris ars suscitat mortuos {No! I'm not letting Marguerite control my life any longer! I have a new home, now, and a noble goal! I'm free to do whatever I want, and she's not forcing me to pursue the dark art of raising the dead}!"

Nasira then placed the letter away and proceeded to tear down her tent. Several hundred meters away, however, she was being spied on. Holding a telescope, a short black-haired woman wearing a pink and red shozoku, and frowning as her gray eyes watched Nasira pack up her tent. She turned to another blonde mage, an older woman wearing a black see-through outfit that showed her smooth stomach under a red bedlah, red poofy sleeves, and a long, red, flowing cape. The woman's hair was in a pair of long twintails, and she was restrained by rope.

"Anata no imōto ga esa o totte inai to omowa reru, Nohrian no sukamu,-sōdesu {It seems, Nohrian scum, that your dear little sister isn't taking the bait}," the black-haired woman said. She shook her head before flipping out a kunai. Twirling it around, she shrugged, "Kanojo wa anata ga shin'yō shite ita yori mo kashikoi ka, modotte kuru no ga anata o amarini mo nikumu. Izure ni seyo, anata wa bāgen no owari o sasaeru koto ga dekiru yō ni wa miemasen. Dakara watashi wa mohaya watashi no owari o mamoru koto ga dekimasen {Either she's smarter than you gave her credit for, or she hates you too much to try to come back. Either way, it doesn't seem like you're going to be able to uphold your end of the bargain. So I can no longer uphold my end}."

She approached the blonde, who exclaimed, "Manere! Lorraine potest esse tuus! Tui metam Nohr perdere possit impleri ... sed ad vobis, si modo adhuc tota {Wait! Lorraine can still be yours! Your goal to destroy Nohr can still be fulfilled... but she will only come to you if I'm still alive}!" The ninja woman frowned but sheathed her kunai.

"Anata no tame ni, anata no nakama no kurai majutsu-shi no saigo no kata ga anata no tasuke ni kite kudasai {For your sake, the last of your fellow dark magi better come to your aid}."

 _ **Tawni and Nasira have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Jamal, out of his armor (but wearing a green shirt) hauled his battered, red shirt-wearing twin out of the tavern. "And stay out, gypsy vermin!" the tavern owner called at them, throwing a glass at them that shattered on the wall behind them.

"You know you're throwing away money trying to kill us with your fancy glassware, right!?" Jamal called back before dragging Kareem away. Once he was sure they were far enough away, he sighed before dropping the red-clad brother.

"Thanks for getting me out of there," Kareem smirked. "How was I supposed to know that lovely waitress I was charming was his daughter?"

 _ **POW!**_

Kareem nursed his jaw while Jamal said, "Do you have ANY idea what it's like being your twin brother, sometimes? It's frustrating knowing that I share your looks, but you lack my rational personality! I was in the middle of gathering any information that might lead us to what happened to Mother, and I take a break for one minute to go to the bathroom, and the next thing I know, you've taken my place, and you're trying to get in Atheer's skirt!"

"Oh, so THAT'S what her name was," Kareem recalled.

"I would like you to take our side goal seriously," Jamal said. "We're already Romani, and that alone makes people weary for their purses and city guards are pre-inclined to treat us with suspicion in case something goes wrong in their towns. I'd like to have to avoid calling for our camels every other day to be ready to outrun the local guards every time you choose to try to woo a nobleman's daughter or a knight's fiancée. And how many times do either Guaril, Akiba, Tawni, and the elders have to give you an earful?"

"Alright, fine, 'Dad'," Kareem groaned. "You even sound like he did at times."

"Somebody has to be the voice of reason in our little family," Jamal said. "Sadly, I seem to be it because you'd rather be winning over maidens like Tawni than protecting the caravan."

"At least I have the stones to admit to Tawni and the other girls we travel with that I find them attractive!" Kareem shot back. Jamal blinked. "Don't pretend for even a SECOND that you're that much better than me, Jamal. You've fantasized about the women of our group, too. You're just too chicken to tell them to their faces that you find them pretty, confusing them. Little brother, let me tell you something about women: most ladies HATE having to make the first move in any relationship. They don't find it attractive for them to take charge."

"We are NOT having this conversation when we should be looking for clues about our mother," Jamal said. Looking at the sun and a handheld sundial he pulled out, he said, "Alright, we have about… two hours left of sunlight, give or take ten minutes, before we need to be back at camp. I'm going to go to check the caravan two blocks west from here. You don't go in those, alright?" Before Kareem could get another word in, Jamal walked away.

"...I should have told him I've already been kicked out of all of those taverns," Kareen said. "Oh well, he was the one who didn't want to talk." He then called, "Have fun, little brother!"

 _ **Jamal and Kareem have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"İşte bu yüzden artık kurumunuz için çalışmıyoruz, Hanım Hanım, {And that is why we are no longer working for you, Lady Hanim}," Node finished the translation. "Sana karşı kişisel bir şey değil, ama millet, tahammül etmemiz için çok fazla Uprilian kanı ayırdı. Özür dileriz. Saygılarımızla, Dobi & Node, Kiralık Kılıçlar {It's nothing personal against you, but you nation has split too much Uprilian blood for us to tolerate. You have our apologies. Sincerely, Dobi & Node, Swords For Hire}." With that, she looked at Dobi from her writing, and asked, "Dobi, I care for your decisions, but are you sure cutting off all ties to our Argelian clients is a good idea?"

"We're Uprilian, we should have SOME national pride," Dobi answered. "But more importantly, joining with a caravan of gypsies who are on their way to face Argelians will not appreciate us having connections to the enemy if they find out."

"Okay, sellsword," Node said, whisking the letter away. "So, now that we've committed to working with Tawni and her caravan… what now, Dobi?" She began to innocently walk towards the myrmidon.

"Now, we sharpen our skills for when we clash with Argelian blades," Dobi answered.

"How about we do something else?" Node asked, a slight bounce in her step. "You know, maybe we finally start catching up on your overdue collection of wishes that I owe you. One perhaps being, well… me?"

"For the last time, Node," Dobi said, "I'm not going to enact some psychological life debt to have my way with you! That's not me, and you know that. You're my friend and partner, not some genie slave whom I can force to do whatever." Node blinked. "Now, calm down and find something else to do."

"...Okay, fine," Node said. "I'll go hang out with Tawni and the others." She then summoned her carpet, and then floated away. Dobi himself sighed, realizing he was too hard on her.

"...It's not that I don't care about you, Node," he said aloud. "Or that I don't find you attractive. It's that you need to control yourself better around men like me." He then left to train.

 _ **Dobi and Node have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Himli scribbled on a piece of parchment. "'Dear Ma and Pa'," Himli muttered. "'Still on the road with the caravan. Things have been a little hectic since I left home to rescue my sister. I've been helping building up and tearing down stages, stands, tents and tables on a semi-daily basis… I've been nearly killed by brigands almost weekly… I went to my first fancy shindig… and just this morning, I was ran out of town because a certain someone was caught trying to woo the mayor's daughter'."

"Do you have to rub that in as we're riding this camel!?" Kareem questioned. Himli looked up from his letter and at Kareem's camel.

"Who was the moron who snuck into the aforementioned mayor's daughter's birthday party?" Himli said.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Kareem scoffed. "Don't tell me you WEREN'T enjoying the view of the previously mentioned girl? And all the other girls at the party who practically invited you?"

"I'm not sure why, though," Himli replied. "I'm a gem miner from southeast Poswa. Attempting to pass yourself off as a ladies man aside, you're a dashing gypsy swordsman."

"Well, clean your face off, put you in fancy clothes, and you're adorable," the red-clad cavalier answered. "Something that most western Orobian women seem to like is 'cute, nice guys' over 'handsome, manly studs'. The only reason you're being run out of town with me is because of the fact that you're associated with me." He then said, "We just need to build your confidence, Himli." He then yelped as a javelin flew out and landed next to his camel, making him redirect his camel.

"Will that be before or after we get caught by the city guard?" Himli asked.

"Hopefully we'll NEVER get caught!" Kareem said. "Let's ride!" He whipped the reins of his camel, speeding it up.

 _ **Himli and Kareem have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"I'm so glad that we got away from the rest of the group to do this," Nasira smiled, drawing the giant circle in the middle of the sand. "Node, did you bring your light magic?"

"Yes I did," Node smiled, summoning the aforementioned tome. "So, is there any particular reason we're about to combine light and dark magics in a giant unsupervised ritual in the middle of the desert away from the rest of the camp?"

"Mostly because if we did this near the camp," Nasira admitted, "there's a strong chance we could probably kill everyone."

"...That is a very fair point," Node confessed. "Nobody would probably approve of two sexy young magi, one an exotic dark mage from a mysterious homeland, and the other a beautiful bubbly, mischievous jann girl, experimenting with light and dark." As Nasira continued constructing the spell circle, Node questioned, "So, what made you take up the dark arts, if I may be so bold? Unless you're mad, you kind of lack the disposition of being a darkness-user."

"Where I was born and raised," Nasira explained, "my homeland was quite bleak and depressing to look at. Most of the people were actually quite nice in spite of the fact that the land is constantly dying. But the magic schools where I grew up… there were very little opportunities learn anything BUT dark magic." She the said, "And then, there are the elite sorcerers of my homeland… many elite magi performed the unethical ritual of creating mindless, undead beasts to go on rampages through the land."

"So, there are ghouls where you're from?" Node questioned.

"Ghouls being undead bound djinn who lost their souls, right?" Nasira asked. "I want to know if I got the translation correct."

"Well, yeah, that sums it up," Node said.

"Well, they're not exactly called 'ghouls' where I'm from," Nasira said. "I think they were mostly human, once. And also, they seem to have souls, unlike ghouls. And the monsters I'm thinking of are slightly easier to control than ghouls…. slightly. Still, to raise the dead for the soul purpose of rampaging against the living? Including possible loved ones? And then teaching young magi to do this? That was too far."

"Wow, there's the passion," Node beamed, walking over. "Now, convert that anger of yours into energy for this combined spell… let's ignite up the night sky!" She then channeled her light magic.

"Right, friend!" Nasira agreed, calling forth her dark magic. The two then blasted the completed spell circle, beginning their magical experiment.

 _ **Nasira and Node have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Jamal was finishing setting up his tent when a certain rabbit hopped over to him. "Oh, Calypso," Jamal said, kneeling and petting her. "How are you doing?" The rabbit nuzzled his hand.

"Aw," Tawni smiled, appearing from Jamal's tent. "You two are so cute…." Calypso hopped from Jamal to Tawni's arms. She smiled before placing the rabbit on the ground.

"Oh, Tawni," Jamal nervously smiled. "How did you even get in there before I finished setting up? I didn't even see you!"

"I've been trying out some tricks Father taught me," Tawni innocently answered. "And if you're going to sneak up on a mark, you need to learn how to sneak up on a friend. And seeing as you're my best friend, why not sneak up on you? You'd take it in stride!"

"...How long have you been here?" Jamal asked.

"When you started setting up the tents."

"That was an HOUR ago. You've kept out of sight for that long!?"

"Yep!" Tawni said. "I've been getting better, don't you think?"

"Te iubesc, dar mă sperie uneori, Tawni, {I love you, but you scare me sometimes, Tawni}," Jamal sighed. Tawni giggled.

"Și eu te iubesc, prietene {I love you too, my friend}," the female gypsy said. Sitting next to him, she said, "So I wanted to talk. Do you have a minute?"

"I suppose I'm almost done, provided you didn't do anything inside my tent," Jamal said. He then noticed the semi-serious face Tawni now adopted. "Tawni?"

"Jamal… do you think I'm… mature?"

"Huh?" Jamal questioned.

"I now, weird question consider I just messed with you to see how good my stealth was," Tawni admitted. "However, the elders have expressed… concerns about me and my place in the caravan."

"What are you talking about?" Jamal asked.

"Father's made it no secret about who he wants as the next rom baro after him," Tawni said.

"Honestly, I think the title suits you," Jamal said. "You have the training to lead us if we need to steal something, the charms to lower people's guard around us, the kindness to treat those around you with respect, but the firmness to know when to get serious."

"You're just saying all of that to be nice," Tawni half-accused. "But anyway, Jamal… I think at least one of the elders is against me taking the position, despite Father training me. Or rather, BECAUSE Father's trained me."

"Why?"

"Because Father… apparently made a couple critical mistakes that has gotten the caravan repeatedly in danger, and they hate that," Tawni said, looking down. "But that's not even mentioning the elders are afraid that I'm a little young to begin consider inheriting the position. As you know, the rom baro is responsible for the entire clan's well-being, both in and out of combat. I have made more decisions that have put us in harm's way during this war than our caravan has been in for a long time, now. They don't think I'm ready for such responsibility… and I think they're right."

"No, they're not."

"Jamal?" Tawni asked.

"Yes, we've been in trouble a LOT lately," the green cavalier answered. "But we're Roma… if we're not in some degree of trouble, we're doing our jobs wrong. And even if trouble wasn't an occupational hazard, they forget that we're in the middle of a war for the fate of the continent that we live on. Your father and especially you have been doing your best, all things considered, to keep us all alive, or at the very least, minimize casualties. We can only appreciate that."

"...Thank you, Jamal," Tawni smiled. "I'll try to keep up that approval of yours."

"You're welcome," Jamal grinned back. "So… you want to help finish this tent?"

"Sure, you listened to my babbling," Tawni smiled as she walked over to him.

 _ **Tawni and Jamal have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Dobi cracked his neck as he stood across the way from Kareem. "So, let me get this straight," the myrmidon said, looking at the practice sword in his hand, "you want to spar with me?"

"With all due respect," Kareem smirked, "there's only room for ONE handsome swordsmaster in this caravan."

"But what about Guaril? Or Lady Akiba? Or your brother, who's somewhat decent with a sword? Or—"

"Oh come on," Kareem complained. "Look, the rom baro asked us to get along, but I want to see just how skilled you are! Is that a bit much to ask?"

"Not exactly," Dobi said. "But there are other ways to show my skills at stabbing people without US having to cross blades."

"Well, you need something tangible and can defend itself besides the targets you cut down during your training sessions."

"...That's a semi-fair argument." Preparing his sword, Dobi said, "Alright, first solid strike, but that's it."

He then took a fighting stance, and Kareem took one as well. The two then clashed their swords, and began a fierce fight… until they noticed a few kids had gathered around.

"Whoa!" one of the boys grinned. "That's awesome!"

"Where did these kids come from?" Kareem asked.

"Well," a girl answered, "we… kind of are lost. We heard grunts and swords this way, thinking you guys were city guards. But you're not."

"Nope," Kareem answered. "Just a Romani swordsman and his quick-footed rival."

"'Rival' is a bit of a stretch," Dobi deadpanned. "Still, kids… you shouldn't hang around men like us in the middle of a fight. A loose grip on a sword could be disastrous."

"We'll call it a draw, here," Kareem said. He then whistled before grabbing the little girl.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" the girl questioned.

"Relax, we're taking you kids back home," Kareem smiled as his camel came over to him. He then placed the little girl on him. "Can you describe where your house is?"

"Um… yes?" the little girl said. Kareem then loaded the boy on, next.

"Alright, let's get going," the red cavalier nodded. He then grabbed his camel's reins, and began leading it in the direction of the girl's instructions. The other kids followed them.

"Well… there's a heart past all of those flirts," Dobi said. He then said, "Wait a minute. What's the likelihood that one of those kids ISN'T an only child with an older, attractive sister?" He groaned. "For the sake of my current company, I better make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." He then ran after Kareem.

 _ **Dobi and Kareem have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Jamal found Himli digging into a rock. "I keep forgetting that you're a miner, Himli," Jamal said. "What are you looking for in that rock?"

"Diamonds," the miner answered. Jamal blinked while Himli brought his pickaxe into the rock. "I'm serious, these rocks here are the type that most likely contain precious gemstones. I dig enough of these, and the caravan won't have to worry about money for a while… family won't, either."

"Well, that's touching of you," Jamal nodded. He then grabbed a spare shovel. "Need a hand, Himli?"

"I won't mind it," Himli said. As the two worked, Himli asked, "So, I've been a smidge afraid to ask, but… what's life like in a caravan of gypsies?"

"About time you asked," Jamal said. "As you've seen, since we travel a lot, we never exactly have a solid roof over our heads. Not a lot different from most Orobian armies, I've heard. My father was an ex-soldier before he got wooed by Mother. She's disappeared, and Father eventually died of an illness, but the rom baro looks after Kareem and I. It helped because Tawni's pretty, too."

"Yeah, she is," Himli admitted with a blush. "But… what about the danger?"

"Oh, there's always danger," the green cavalier answered. "But that's life when Romani are often persecuted for being outsiders and some being notorious criminals. Although, now that I think about it, Tawni and Guaril are both skilled thieves."

"They're both thieves?" Himli questioned. "But Tawni's so… so nice! Guaril, I kind of expected, since he's a legendary trickster. But Tawni's not as ruthless…."

"You don't have to be brutal to be a con," Jamal said. "Even your Poswali nobles, who are supposedly brutal, have SOME kindness to them. But Guaril instilled a very good sense of honor within Tawni. Within the lot of us. Tawni usually tries to be nice, and almost never resorts to violence as her first move. She prefers deception, avoiding directly hurting her foes unless given no other choice or innocent lives are at risk. You've seen this by now."

"Yeah, I suppose." Himli then struck at a particular spot, and the rock split open, revealing several gemstones. "Alright!"

"Well, looks like we have some gems to sell," Himli said. "Hey, Himli… if you need a shoulder to lean on, mine's free."

"Thanks Jamal," Himli said. The two began digging out the gemstones.

 _ **Himli and Jamal have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"And this, Mother," an apron-clad Tawni finished as she and Akiba stood in front of freshly grilled fish, "is how you make Father's favorite tilapia recipe on a portable grill."

"Thank you again, Tawni," Akiba smiled. "You know, Tawni, it's usually the parent who teaches the child in the concept of cooking. You, however, have mastered it. What a weird inversion of the situation."

"Elder Aishe is a great cook," Tawni said, carefully grabbing the dish. "While Father and Jamal are both good cooks, all three of us pale in comparison to Elder Aishe. She insisted to Father that he let her teach me… it was mainly because she claimed 'she never got to teach her daughters'."

"Elder Aishe had daughters?" Akiba questioned.

"Apparently," Tawni smiled, walking with her foster mother. "Her triplets were approximately five years older than I was when they were taken from us." She then asked, "So, what's the occasion for you trying to cook for Father, Mother?"

"This is going to sound like an embarrassing old people in love moment," Akiba said, "but here goes." She inhaled, and said, "A few days from now, not that he remembers, but it's the anniversary of when he and I first met."

"Ooh," Tawni smiled. "You are a romantic, Mother! How did it happen?"

"I suppose you deserve to know," Akiba said. "I tried to arrest your father."

"And that's romantic… how?" Tawni asked, genuinely surprised.

"Well, I never said our relationship was perfect," Akiba replied. "Not every love story starts with 'love at first sight'." She then said, "Well, back before our first meeting, I was a Cruibian knight in direct service to Lady Minoo… you, the Orobian queen whose eldest daughter you agreed to perform for. Queen Minoo wasn't helpless, considering she was a war heroine, but she was pregnant with her second daughter during this incident, Janiya. Anyway, on a way to visit the city of Cubes for her eldest daughter's cleansing ritual, we were ambushed by brigands. Despite her pregnancy, Queen Minoo held them off very well, while I myself fought off as many as I could. However, in the middle of the fighting, Princess Yasmin's basket had vanished, with her in it. I saw a similar cape to your father's in the struggle, but not among the brigands we had defeated. I pursued the suspect when I ran into your father. He was still with your biological mother at the time, not that I knew that, but he was still a charming rogue."

"And you thought that he stole the princess?" Tawni asked.

"Yes, I did," Akiba admitted. "I attacked him, but ended up making a misstep and getting hurt. Instead of leaving me for dead like any other thief would have, he helped me. He even agreed to help find the thieves who kidnapped the infant princess. We tracked them down, and Guaril left before meeting Lady Minoo. But the brigands refused to tell either me or Queen Minoo who hired them to attack us, even on pain of execution. It's something that's been haunting me even before I resigned from Cruibia's royal guard, and it was a huge stain on my honor that Lady Yasmin was even put in that mortal danger."

"Mother, it wasn't your fault," Tawni assured her. "Perhaps now that you're out of the guard and with our crew, you can try to figure it out."

"Hm… perhaps I could. It won't remove this serious blemish on my past, but it would bring me closure." She then nodded, and said, "Now, let's see what your father thinks about this fish."

"Yep!" Tawni smiled.

 _ **Tawni and Akiba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Himli was working on placing up his tent for the night when he heard muttering. "Huh?" he questioned. He looked around, and eventually spotted Nasira, standing in the middle of the camp, her eyes closed and hands clapped together. "Nasira…? What is that witch up to?"

Nasira chanted, "Draco per voluntatem Dei Opacare, Tenebrae… Tutela per Divinum Draco, Nagae… Terra autem per beneficia Dei Mater, amet… Dea per voluntatem Dei ex Chao Yune… In robore belli Pater Duma… Per ablatosque cum de Draco Smith, Gargec… A Harvest est ad benevolentiam genium quendam, Awdue… Et mirabilia in Draco ex Gente, Rerci…."

"Is she… praying?" Himli questioned. He then saw Nasira open her eyes… to see that her pupils had completely shrunk, while a magic circle Himli did not see until just then sparked up.

"Egredimini de pluvia nocte!" Nasira yelled, shooting a spell into the sky. Himli yelled, and dashed into the tent. Nasira, meanwhile, looked at the sky with her eyes returning to normal and the spell circle fading… only to see it didn't work. "Non fiet?"

"Um… Nasira… did I offend you?" Himli asked. Nasira blinked, just now realizing Himli was in the area.

"Oh, Himli, sorry," Nasira said, switching back to Orobian. "I was speaking my birth language. I figured it would help the spell with an extra blessing…."

"...That's your native language?" Himli questioned.

"Yes," Nasira said. "But Nohrian would sound like a foreign tongue to you, Himli."

"So that… wasn't you casting a curse on someone?" Himli questioned.

"Oh, that was a curse, alright," Nasira smiled innocently. Himli yelled in shock. "Don't worry, just a friendly curse to alter the weather and create life-giving rain."

"...What."

"I think the Orobian word for 'rain' is pretty clear," Nasira frowned. "Isn't it?"

"Oh, it was clear, but I was just stunned at this reveal," Himli said. "You're planning on casting rain? In the desert?"

"And other weather manipulation spells for the sake of reviving my homeland," Nasira admitted. "Like you with your family's loyalty, I have loyalty to the land I was born in." She then turned away from him, and said, "But the problem with my latest spell is that its lacking… oomph."

"Perhaps ya need some ingredients to empower it," Himli suggested. "Ya know, like some lizard tails or flowers, or something of that kind?"

"...That's it!" Nasira gasped. "My curses lack their power because they don't have anything earthy material to channel their great power from! How could I forget that step?" She then turned to Himli, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Himli! I'm going to head to bed, then start looking in the morning!" She then ran away, leaving him blushing.

"Um… you're welcome…?" Himli stammered.

 _ **Himli and Nasira have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Tawni focused on building her energy in front of the caravan's astral crystal. "Come on… I can do this… try to control it…." Tawni inhaled, and exhaled, and closed her eyes to begin meditating… and her spirit projected itself from her body. _"Yes!"_ Tawni smiled, looking back at her body. _"Now… I don't have too long that I can do this… what can I do?"_

"Miss Tawni?" Arya asked, popping her head in. Her fragment shined, allowing her to see Tawni's spirit. "Ah, there you are. You're getting better with this astral projection power you now possess."

" _Yep!"_ Tawni beamed. _"How are you doing, Arya?"_

"Um, perhaps we can continue this conversation in your regular body?" Arya requested. Tawni nodded before returning to her physical body.

"Ooh, that still gives me chills," Tawni breathed after shaking off the effects of the astral projection. She then asked, "So what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to once again thank you and your father for your hospitality in your caravan," Arya said. "The people of the caravan have been surprisingly welcoming."

"That's our people for you," Tawni smiled. "We're friendly Romani, here. Sure, we bicker, but we're ultimately a giant family, here. That travels around… a lot."

"Indeed," Arya smiled. "So, I heard this bizarre rumor that you in particular have roots in Rusnad… is that true?"

"Yes it is," Tawni smiled. "My biological mother was Rusnadi, while my father was from Argelia."

"Sir Guaril is Argelian?" Arya questioned. "And yet none of you have qualms about fighting Argelians?"

"Well," Tawni answered, "I was born and raised here in Orobia, and Argelian soldiers, with some exceptions, haven't had the best track record of respecting Romani people, and some groups have exterminated us just for the heck of it despite the clan doing nothing overtly illegal. So there's no love lost between us and the Argelians."

"Wow," Arya breathed. "That's some resolve, Miss Tawni."

"So I have my own question, Arya," Tawni mused. "Is it true that you are really one of many children of Prince Khai?"

"Yes," Arya blushed. "I'm afraid my father has been… promiscuous, for lack of a better term. Father could never control his hormones, and always sought his next conquest and never used any form of birth control charms, much to my grandfather and my late grandmother's frustration. And any eligible, beautiful woman in the area—human, genie, or manakete—he would attempt to woo her into his bed, and wouldn't stop for hours. It has gotten worse after losing Grandmother. I very nearly walked in on him, once, with a manakete woman who'd later give birth to my youngest sister. I told Mother, and she was FURIOUS with him. Her, normally a peaceful priestess, furious and invoking the wrath of the gods against my father."

"Sounds like you don't like your father very much," Tawni observed.

"Well, your situation is somewhat better with your father," Arya answered. "Your father is a traveling nomad and noble thief who sounds like he genuinely loved your biological mother, and he's come to love Lady Akiba. My father?" She scoffed. "My father may be born a prince, but he's anything BUT princely when it comes to anything other than fighting and charming women. He barely even remembers Mother and all of the other mothers of my siblings' names, at times. We barely even see our mothers because of Father's insistence to have us raised royally, but he refuses to do the honorable thing and marry them. The only reasons Upril hasn't had a succession crisis is that we children actually LIKE each other too much to try killing each other, Grandmother and Grandfather actually worked to make us get along, and the war with Argelia started. Even if Prince Sulaiman turns out to be the next coming of Prince Aseel, at least HE seems to genuinely love his own bride."

"Sounds awful," Tawni frowned. "And I suppose Pharaoh Ammon, despite the horrible things you hear about what his father did, loved Queen Nakia…."

Arya sighed. "I'm sorry, that was horrible of me to dump all of that upon you, Miss Tawni."

"You needed that vent," the gypsy said, placing her hands on Arya's young shoulders. "It's best to get it out, now." She then asked, "So… what about your mother? You said that she's a priestess?"

"Yes," the troubadour nodded. "Her name is Masika, and she's a Priestess in the Temple of Rerci in Durocalar. She's normally a gentle woman who values life above all else. However, I haven't heard from her since the Argelians attacked and I was forced to retreat. I'm beginning to fear the worst."

"If we're ever given the chance, we'll try to find her," Tawni assured her new friend. "You have my word, Arya."

"Thank you, Tawni," Arya nodded. "Until we talk again." Arya then left the tent, leaving Tawni to sit back down and meditate once more.

 _ **Tawni and Arya have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nasira casually walked through the market, humming. However, behind her, a bruised Kareem was groaning, his ear in her hand. "Oh, come on…! This is a little overkill, don't you think?"

"Well, the moment someone lets you out of the caravan's sight," the dark mage said, "you go off chasing someone in a skirt… like myself. I warned you after last time straight up the next time you did something perverted in my presence, I would use you in my next spell. Remember this morning when you were outside the women's bathing tent?"

"Okay, how was I supposed to know that you and some of the other women were currently occupying it at that time!?" Kareem accused. "And how did you even know it was me!?"

Nasira. "First thing, you know where precisely we set up the bathing tents. Second, you know my daily routine outside of battles, and how I tend to spoil myself in the mornings. Third… you know that, as a magi, I'm able to put up minor detection spells in the caravan's crystals outside the bathing tent, and I top those spells with motion-sensing jinxes that trigger for members of the opposite sex who get too close. For fairness, I set similar ones up at the men's bathing tent so the eldery women of the caravan don't peek on the handsome young men. And fourth, I think I know you and your brother by now. You're the one who is an open pervert, while Jamal is a bit tongue-tied with women. You were an idiot for testing me. Now, sulk quietly while finding out what will constitute your punishment."

"Yeah, but… how is THIS not punishment!?" the red cavalier questioned. "If anything, you're embarrassing me in public on top of nearly blowing me up, earlier!"

"Oh, the jinx earlier was to stop immoral male intruders from trying to ogle," Nasira innocently replied. "It could have happened to anyone, really. And the hex lacked the power to really kill, just in case it was a young boy who was growing interested in the fairer sex for the first time. At worst, it would have only singed your hair off."

"...But I like my hair."

"Well, thankfully, it did NOT turn you bald," Nasira smiled. Stopping by a nearby stall, she grinned at what they sold. "It would have made me feel terrible about keeping my word." Looking at the manakete shopkeeper, she asked, "Excuse me, but are these REAL water manakete egg shells? I'm brewing a special potion, and although it's an optional ingredient, I'd like to go the full ten meters."

"Wait, manaketes are born from eggs!?" Kareem questioned.

"Well, pure manaketes CAN be," the shopkeeper said. "That's why egg shells are rarely seen by humans like you, but they can be almost as valuable and versatile as shedded dragon scales! But my kids' eggs are taking up a lot of space, so yeah… may as well make a profit off my kids' egg shells now they're fully grown!"

"Then I suppose they are rather expensive," Nasira nodded, but grimaced at the price. "Can I interest you in lowering the price a bit, good sir?"

"I don't know," the manakete shopkeeper said. "You did claim this to be an optional ingredient, and these WERE my kids' egg shells. Surely, I should be asking for even MORE."

"Let me handle this," Kareem said, stepping forward out of Nasira's grip. "I mean, if I'm going to be your test dummy for whatever witch's brew you're about to cook up, I may as well make sure it's quality witch's brew. Besides, we don't know if these are pure water manakete eggs. You could be ripped off, here."

"Hey!" the shopkeeper growled. "All of my hatchlings were water manaketes! Ask my wife!"

"I think I will," Kareem said. "Perhaps she's the type to love your kids too much to imagine giving up the babies' eggs shells." The shopkeeper gasped. "So, unless you want to try to explain why you tried to sell her precious, precious memories, you'll hand them over to my lovely torturer for… half-price a shell."

"...Fine," the shopkeeper said.

"There you are," Kareem smiled. "Now, get as many as you need, Nasira, and let's move on to whatever other ingredients you need."

"Wow, Kareem, I didn't know you were good at haggling!" Nasira smiled before she paid.

"I'm good at a long list of things," Kareem smirked. "I could show you…."

"Or you could help me with the rest of this," Nasira offered, placing her newly acquired egg shells in her satchel. "Maybe I won't use you as a test subject."

"...That's fair," Kareem frowned before following her.

 _ **Kareem and Nasira have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Node floated over a working Himli, and waved. "Hi, Himli!" the jann girl smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Doin' fine," Himli said. "Just doing a check on the area. This ground is pretty loose, here… figured I'd do some digging."

"Digging?" Node asked, floating down next to him. She returned her magic carpet to her little astral plane before asking, "Why are you digging?"

"I know I probably don't really look like much," Himli explained, "but I'm a miner. I can tell when something or someone's been buried… but this ground's a bit too loose to be a natural sandstorm settling. No… something's under here, and it was put recently."

 _ **THUNK!**_

"Like that." Himli tried to pull up, but his shovel snapped in half. "Aw man! Wood must have rot all the way through… I keep going through the caravan's equipment at this rate, I'll owe Miss Tawni TWICE the amount it took to buy all of these."

"I got it!" Node said. She waved her fingers on the shovel, and it seemed to reattach itself. "It's a temporary fix, but it should hold for a bit. We'll buy a new shovel, later."

"Whoa!" Himli said. "Thanks, Miss Node! I owe ya!"

"No problem, cutie," Node smiled as Himli finished unburying a small treasure chest. "It's the least I can do for you saving me."

"Um… that was Miss Tawni, not me," Himli said.

"But it was you who asked for her help to come," Node said. "Sure, Dobi helped, too, but I would have probably gotten myself killed or worse if you didn't run into Tawni and her caravan. It was a happy accident that we all profited from!"

"Speaking of profit," Himli said, looking at the chest. "We may as well get Miss Tawni and have her open it. She's better at lockpicking than I am."

"Yeah, maybe she won't be as mad about the shovel," Node said. She summoned her carpet, and placed the chest onto it. "Hop on… it'll be quicker to the camp."

"Um… hop on…?" Himli asked.

"Oh, right!" Node realized. "You're a Poswali human! You've probably never been on a magic carpet, before." She then grabbed his hands, and pulled him onto her carpet before having him place his hands on her waist. "It'll be easier if you hold me for the first time. Now don't worry, I won't go too fast!"

"Um… aren't you a little worried about the fact that this seems… a bit close?"

"Oh, we female genies are sexy and we know it!" Node scoffed. "Now, off we go!" Himli yelped as the carpet rose, and flew back towards the camp.

 _ **Himli and Node have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Akiba swung her axe a few more times before slashing through the large target, letting said target fall apart into two neat pieces. She smirked before sheathing her axe, and then turning around—

Right into Guaril's lips. Her eyes widened at first, but she melted into the kiss. "...Was this what you tended to do with your first wife, my love?" Akiba asked after the kiss broke for air.

"That plus others," Guaril said. "But yes, I snuck up on her a few times. Enough about her, though… I wanted to check on you."

"If it's about our last battle, I'll be fine," Akiba smiled. "I used to be a knight of Cruibia before you swept me off my feet, rom baro. We're trained to be tough. Or do I need to remind you again, tonight?"

"And I'm leaving, now," a passing by Tawni said, holding her rabbit.

"What?" Akiba asked.

"Oh, it's the typical fact that no child really wants to hear how intimate their parents are in the bedroom," Guaril answered.

"Oh, right," Akiba giggled. She then sighed, "Still, Guaril, I suppose you looking out for me is what made me fall in love with you. It constantly reminds me of our first meeting. I tried to catch you, thinking YOU were the one who stole away a young Lady Yasmin."

"And I told you, 'I'm a thief, not a kidnapper'," Guaril recalled. "When you got hurt trying to catch me, anyway, I healed you, and then offered to help find the little girl and the brigands who had the incredibly intelligent idea to try to kidnap a war heroine's baby daughter. We succeeded, and then I left before Minoo showed up with the wrath of Gargec in her eyes. I honestly have no idea if those thieves survived."

"They did not," Akiba answered. "But despite the fact that I would have failed, died, and falsely believed you stole away the infant princess because of your Romani heritage and know status as a criminal, you still saved me."

"What can I say, Lady Akiba Hajar-Dighton?" Guaril smiled. "I try to be a gentleman thief, whooing hearts and minds, stealing priceless works of art, robbing other criminals, and having a sense of honor. Ali Baba was my idol growing up. I wanted to be his second coming, and you were a beautiful rival at the time. Of course, now, I admit, we're better together than as enemies."

"That we are," Akiba smiled, walking towards him. She then surprised him by grabbing his arm, and holding them behind his back. "Now… march to our tent, mister. I have a few… questions for you, thief." She then walked him, swaying her hips as she did so. Tawni, meanwhile, walked back by, and saw the two going off towards their tent.

"Okay, not going to talk about this," Tawni said to herself, blushing. She then continued walking on.

 _ **Guaril and Akiba have reached Support Level S+… I mean, C, but they're already married, so….**_

* * *

"Alright," Jamal smiled, strapping the saddle on the camel. "Everything should be good to go, m'lady."

"Thank you, Sir Jamal," Arya replied. "When I asked you to help with fixing my camel's saddle, I didn't think it would be done so quickly."

"Kareem and I have had to get used to doing our own repairs for our equipment," Jamal said. "And it's just 'Jamal', Arya… although our father WAS a knight, we never were official knights of any kingdom. He just taught us to be riders of our camels. Who taught you camel care?" Arya's smile faded.

"I was taught by my paternal grandmother."

"Oh… Queen Tabia," Jamal said. "I'm so sorry, m'lady, that was probably rude."

"It's alright," Arya replied. "And remember Sir Guaril's rule, no royal titles." She then said, "But yes, my grandmother was quite the teacher."

"If I may ask," Jamal questioned, "what was Queen Tabia like?"

"You want to talk about about my grandmother?" Arya asked.

"Only if you don't mind," Jamal insisted. "It's not too often that we simple Romani get to hear firsthand what royals are like… or rather, were like. But since I know this may be a sensitive topic to you, Arya, I won't—"

"Alright," Arya smiled.

"...You will?" Jamal finished in surprised.

"But in exchange," Arya requested, "I would like to hear about your own family. Surely that's a fair trade in this relationship."

"Well, I won't say no," Jamal smiled. It was at this moment, the camel sniffed Jamal's person. "Huh? Oh, you smell the dates, don't you?"

"Yes, he must smell the food you have on you," Arya giggled. "I better feed my companion, here. We'll exchange information during the next opportunity we have, alright?"

"Until then," Jamal smiled. "I better fix my own camel's gear before our next battle, anyway." He then headed off. Arya's camel tried to follow him, but Arya was quick by holding out some food.

"Wow, this is a nice trick I've seen Sir Jamal do," Arya smirked. "I should have learned this ages ago."

 _ **Arya and Jamal have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Himli frowned as he checked over his remaining coins. "Still nothing on the Argelians who took Fidda," the villager complained. "Darn it… I thought I had a lead."

"Well, at least you know they're Argelian," Tawni smiled as she sat next to him. "It's better than nothing to know the type of people we're looking for."

"Oh, Miss Tawni," Himli greeted. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear ya."

"It's alright, Himli," Tawni smiled, sitting beside him. "I wanted to check in on you… you're one of the newest members of the caravan, and you weren't exactly comfortable back when we first met."

"Oh," Himli realized. "Well… to be honest, it's kind of odd. All my life, I've heard stories of gypsies being ruthless criminals hiding behind flashy colors and devious tricks… but here you are, being pretty and nothin' but kind to me."

"Well, I'm a nice girl to my friends and I only steal from criminals and the corrupt," Tawni replied. "I don't rob innocents, and whoever these Argelians are? They fit my code, and you have my word that we'll save your sister from them."

"Wow, thank you," Himli said. "But what does being a… well, gypsy mean to you?"

Tawni answered, "Well, being a 'Roma' means 'being a part of a vibrant, energetic, nomadic community that enjoys life outside the norms of any normal society and now bending the knee to swear fealty to any mere king or queen, but will help them out if need be, while experiencing vast cultures throughout the world and partaking in bold, daring tales'."

"...Wow," Himli said in surprise. "Well, I'm not exactly a prince, so I'm not sure why you were so gung ho on helping me."

"Oh, that's easy," Tawni replied. "You're a good sort, Himli, and I can tell your story is merely beginning."

"My… story?" Himli questioned. "Like I said, I'm not interesting. I'm just a gem miner from southeast Poswa who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I'm on a globe-trotting quest to get my older sister back from an Argelian cult."

"You'd be surprised how many legends in Orobia arise from similar humble beginnings," Tawni smirked. "Father, for example, wasn't always the legendary trickster who tangled with dragons, rubs elbows with nobles, and charms knights. He was, actually, an Argelian Romani whose clan came over decades before this situation started."

"Wait, you're part-Argelian?" Himli questioned.

"And apparently part-Rusnadi in my particular case," Tawni added, brushing her hair. "It's been a while, but plenty of Rusnadi people have blue hair."

"Oh… didn't know that," Himli said. He then said, "So… you're totally fine with fighting Argelians despite being part-Argelian?"

"I was born and raised in Orobia, and for all of my traveling, I've never considered stepping foot into Argelia until I met you," Tawni replied. "I have to thank you, Himli, for giving me a reason to actually care about heading into Argelia. Not just for your family… but for me, and for the peace of Orobia." She smiled, before she added, "Just stick with us… you'll be fine."

"Alright," Himli said. "I'll try not to slow you down."

"You won't."

 _ **Tawni and Himli have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Tawni and Guaril walked away from the rest of the caravan. "Honestly, Tawni," her father said as the two of them headed out of the camp, "one of the things I'm going to enjoy when I'm no longer rom baro is the fact that I'm not going to have to deal with the arguments of Shandor and Milosh."

"The elders only have the best interests of the clan at heart, Father," Tawni assured him, brushing him on the back. "They're just worried that we're constantly running into danger, these days. I'm partially to blame, since I keep running into the Thieves Guild and other threats."

"And it's mostly me that you keep having to deal with said threats," Guaril added. He inhaled, and exhaled. "I'm sorry I haven't exactly been honest with you about my past. But I've been doing it—"

"For my protection, I know," Tawni smiled. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she smiled, "Nu mai sunt o fetiță, părinte. Sunt o femeie tânără și moștenitorul datoriei tale ca rom baro. Mă merit încrederea, nu-i așa {I'm not a little girl, anymore, Father. I'm a young woman, and the heir to your duties as rom baro. I deserve your trust, do I not}?"

Guaril admitted, "Tu ... dar nu am încredere în mine, dezvăluind prea multe despre mine {You do... but I don't trust myself with revealing too much about me}." Tawni gave him a look. "Fine, I owe you SOMETHING." He sighed. "As you know, the Dighton clan, when I was a boy, had come from Argelia to Orobia. It was supposed to be a fresh start, especially for me, since my father had disappeared. But not all fresh starts are without bumps in the road."

"True," Tawni nodded.

"Now, when I was a boy, I met an Ustrosi Thieves Guild trickster," Guaril smiled. "That man… he inspired me to be the trickster I am today. His name was Cassim. He was like a father to me. For a brief time, he taught me and another student, Anna, everything the two of us knew. However, he left after a while, and the caravan had to move on… but before we left Ustros, we came across a boy that I once considered, for years, to be my brother."

"I have an uncle?" Tawni questioned.

"Somewhat," Guaril replied. "But unfortunately, he turned out to have been the salt of the earth, and a danger to the caravan. My first act as rom baro was dealing with him."

"But what about your mentor?" Tawni questioned.

"Of course he's dead," Guaril replied. "I'm old, and he was old enough to be my grandfather and he's human. Unless he gained some form of immortality, he died of old age." He then shrugged. "Oh well… that's just a bit of things off my chest."

"It felt good, didn't it?" Tawni smiled at her father.

"Yeah… yeah it did," Guaril said. "Sadly, that's all you're getting out of me right now, though. I'm still a bit uncomfortable sharing much to you…."

"What about me, though?" Tawni asked. "There seems to be a lot of concern about me."

"Let me worry about that," Guaril said. "Now, let's continue your lessons in the art of thievery."

 _ **Tawni and Guaril have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Alright, now we've done this, I can finally say it: Yes, the Dighton clan caravan of gypsies is part-Argelian in terms of origins. No, they're not pro-Argelian Empire, because real-life Romani have been treated poorly wherever they go by law enforcement and soldiers wherever they go. Guaril's generation left Argelia during the final years of the rein of Empress Chitra's grandmother (yes... Guaril is kind of old), but he's still mostly Romani.

As for this, we come to the reveal that Nasira's real name is actually Lorraine and that she's actually from Nohr, one of the main kingdoms from _Fates._ Yes, I actually kind of like _Awakening_ and _Fates_ with their kingdoms, I'm sorry if you hate them. And yes, Nasira's native language is Latin. I'll let you translate her ritual in her and Himli's supports on your own... but if you're concerned about what I tried to name the Dusk Dragon from Nohr... honestly, _Fates_ really should have tried to name their dragon gods if they're going to include dragons besides Anankos and the Rainbow Sage as major dragon gods in the setting. It kind of is a rule for fiction. Even I named my various gods in Orobia and Argelia (Gargec, Awdue, Rerci, Stratreo, Sizah (in a way), and others that I plan to introduce).

Moving on. As a reminder, if anyone wants to do supports, let me know. If you're about your OC, send me a reminder of who they are.

Now, next time, we'll going to be heading to the battle of Nourdari, which had a sneak peak in _Night of Lore!_ Farewell, subjects!


	20. Howe Chapter 4: The Battle of Nourdari

A/N: Well, this MAY be where we finally hit the point of _Night of Tales_ where, try as I might, I may be pushing the Teen rating too far. If that IS the case, someone PLEASE let me know in the reviews, and I will change the rating to Mature.

Second, whatever you do when reading this chapter, please do not try to read it in one sitting. This was 28 pages in Microsoft Word (or 33 pages in Google Docs). Take breaks, eat something, go to the bathroom, enjoy life. Please don't read to the point that you're cross-eyed. We here at Chao Cam Studios do not take any responsibility for any issues that develop because you ignored our suggestion to not attempt to read the entire chapter in one sitting.

Third, after this chapter AND Howe's crew's supports, I will be taking a long break from _Night of Tales_ to work on _Night of Lore,_ the "codex piece" for this story. However, I will, at the end of the Supports chapter, add in summaries for the next planned chapters for _Night of Tales_ that you can vote on. I will put up a poll you can use on my profile page by that point.

Fourth, I just want to let everyone know that I'm also going to be working on my own original science-fiction/fantasy story: _Explorers of a Cosmic Sea_ (it's a working title).Alien species, elemental psychic powers, political conspiracies, the usual affairs of a space opera. But I want to do it, make my own works.

Alright, enough talks. Time for something you all saw coming: the Battle of Nourdari.

* * *

 _Summary: Captain Howe, after securing the fleet, has turned back to Ustros' largest port, and the birthplace of Queen Kalia of Ustros, Nourdari. Both before, during, and after the battle, however, Howe finds himself entangled in the affairs of Argelia's politics more than he and his crew will like..._

* * *

 ** **Howe's Tale, Chapter 4: "The Battle of Nourdari"****

* * *

 **Ustrosi Waters, Near Port of Nourdari—Three Weeks After Battle of Xuhua Bay**

Aboard the _Sabine,_ Howe gripped the helm tightly. It was almost a reflex every time he came near Nourdari. Even now, he felt ill approaching the port town that started his path.

"To think, almost two months ago," Anna said, looking in the direction, "we were back aboard the _Dove,_ under Captain Dilazak's command, right here. Now, look at us." The crew who used to be members of the _Dove,_ save for Howe, nodded at the remark.

Keyon simply said, "We're about to attack Orobia's greatest port town which was the hometown of both a war heroine who became a queen and a princess consort who was a humanitarian rights activist, both of whom are now deceased, with an Argelian invasion fleet. If we succeed, we're conquerors. If we fail, we're more than likely going to be executed. Either way, we're about to make enemies of a lot of people in the next few hours. Howe, I hope to the gods you know what you're doing." He then looked at Howe, who didn't respond. "Howe? Oh gods dammit, not again."

"One, please do not say that, Vice Captain," Adem frowned. "And two: what again?"

"Howe's having a combination of post-traumatic stress disorder, bystander syndrome guilt, depression, and anxiety, all triggering flashbacks," Anna answered.

"Oh," Adem realized.

"What?" Kairi asked. "What could cause all of that?"

Piper answered, "You see, back when the four of us were sailing on the _Dove,_ we were… there the night of the Widowing Massacre. We didn't see the actual assassination of the Orobian queens, but we were in the area. Of course, of the four of us, only Captain Howe was on duty and awake. We were running late for a delivery because Captain Howe wanted to do a nice thing."

"Said nice thing pissed off Dilazak almost as much as Howe's mutiny," Keyon chimed in.

"Anyway," Piper continued, "the night of the Widowing Massacre, as we were arriving in Nourdari, Captain Howe spotted the _Aquarius_ as it was pulling into open waters with the Orobian queens on board. He thought something was wrong, and was about to turn around, when Captain Dilazak ordered him to ignore the ship and head into port. We later found out the Orobian queens were on board, and the citizens of Nourdari accused Captain Howe and Captain Dilazak of killing the Orobian queens through inaction. While Captain Howe's been haunted by it for the past two years, Captain Dilazak didn't CARE. He never liked Orobians, only speaking the language because it's a common trade language, so unlike Howe, he never once lost sleep over it. His only concern was about his wallet and the lost profits he got for a late delivery. That began a spiral of events that led to Captain Howe leading a mutiny we participated in, and our employment by Argelia."

"Sounds like you all worked for a heartless dastard," Torio admitted.

"He was, but we haven't heard from him save for a letter from one of my sisters that he's made a formal request to Governor Raharison to place official bounties on our heads for breaking Giussean's neutrality in this war on the grounds it's cutting into Giuss' profits, as well as our mutiny, which is a serious offense in Giuss," Anna frowned. She then said to Howe, "You know, we should probably check in with Captain Aksoy, let her know we're about to lead the fleet into position."

"Right," Howe finally said, shaking out of his reverie. "Torio, fire up the astral plate. The sooner I contact Captain Aksoy, the sooner we can do this." The Xuhuan mage nodded, and concentrated on the astral plate. As the frequency opened, Howe began, "Captain Aksoy, the fleet is… um… whoa."

On the other end, Sema and Habai had changed outfits. Sema was dressed in an off-shoulder yellow belly shirt and long gold skirt with a slit up the left side showing off her shapely legs, her blonde hair pulled in a single long ponytail, smokey gray eyeshadow and pink lipstick under a see-through yellow veil. Habai, meanwhile, was wearing a blue and green version of her typical dress, but wearing her hair up and a blue veil.

" _Good timing, Sirius,"_ Sema smiled. " _We just finished a number and finally got backstage."_

"A… number?" Howe asked, visibly distracted.

" _Our cover in Nourdari is a traveling pair of dancers,"_ Habai answered. " _Sema has a Romani friend with benefits, Levi Strauss. She taught us a few dances, let us borrow a few sets of her clothes, and we've used that plus our natural good looks to smuggle our troops into the city for our part of the plan. We're having one of Argelia's spies drug the Ustrosi guard, making the naval battle much easier for you."_

"R-Right," Howe stammered, shaking his head. "The plan… sorry, I wasn't expecting THAT to be your cover. And also, the implication you slept with one of my one-night stands in Giuss."

"Who happened to be MY ex," Anna admitted. "Small ocean, if we all enjoyed the same gypsy's bunk."

" _Wait, really?"_ Sema raised an eyebrow. " _Levi and I may be friends with benefits, but I've got to talk to Levi about getting around."_

"Oh, she's beautiful," Howe said. "But you, Captain Aksoy, have my eye." Habai smiled before turning to Sema.

" _I told you, Sema, he too is interested in you."_

" _H-Habai!"_ Sema frowned, her cheeks pinker than her blush. " _Can we all focus!?"_ She cleared her throat, before saying, " _Let's review, real quick."_ Habai then motioned her hands, which replaced the two women with a map of Nourdari and the surrounding waters. " _Your goal, Captain, isn't to defeat the Ustrosi fleet that will soon spot you and our ships. Your goal is to survive long enough for my group to assault and destroy the cannon tower that has caused Argelia so much trouble dealing with the fleet. Without the support of the tower, our fleet should overwhelm the Ustrosi and our conquest of Nourdari will be complete, and then we can expand our navy across the continent."_

" _Barring any unexpected circumstances, of course,"_ a male voice interjected. A male voice that only Howe was familiar with. The image turned into a tall, approximately 6'5", heavily armored man clad in silver with a long, thick, blood red cape that had the crest of the pink lioness common of Argelia adorned on it. He had slightly tanned skin, brown eyes hidden behind the gleam of a pair of silver glasses, small freckles under his thick nose, and a slightly faded set of clawlike scars across the side of his neck. At his hip was a decorated orichalcum broadsword that had a red hilt guard and silver handle, and on his back was an orichalcum shield… that was bedazzled in the shape of a lioness.

" _İmparator Consort Nika {Emperor Consort Nika}!"_ Sema gasped, appearing on another side of the call. She immediately knelt down alongside Habai and Adem, before quickly shooting a look at Howe. " _Bow!"_

" _No need,"_ the man told her, adjusting his glasses. " _This man isn't officially an Argelian soldier, so he shouldn't have to bow."_ Turning to Howe, he said, " _So, you're the Giussean privateer who has these past few months made headways. I admit, I had my doubts about you, but Captain Aksoy insisted you would live up to your grandfather's name, Sirius Howe. So far, she hasn't been wrong, given how you helped take Konunlik and destroyed an Uprilian scouting fleet with only a handful of people before the Uprilians could be warned of our planned attack. Quite the feats for one man with no noble blood. As a man who rose from a lowly position myself, I have to respect that."_

"Wait, what?" Howe asked.

" _I rose through the templar ranks on my own merit… and Chitra noticed me when she was a princess,"_ the man simply answered with a small smile. " _I don't honestly know what drew her to a lowly soldier like me, but she chose me to be her shield and lover. But allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Nika Kustal-Solak, husband of Her Eminence, Empress Chitra Solak and father to Princess Kadri Solak, and Argelia's Supreme Commander. Allow my assistant to show you around the room."_

"T… The room?" Howe questioned.

" _Scheherazade, eğer istersen, lütfen {Scheherazade, if you would, please},"_ Nika said to someone off-screen. Howe witnessed a young woman, about 5'4", with purple hair and teal, shining eyes appeared next to Nika. She was wearing a sleeveless, open, untucked, golden trimmed, black waistcoat that exposed the sarashi wrapped around her chest, with a matching cloth wrapped around her waist that reached her knees and was held by a brown leather belt with a silver oval buckle, white knee-length trousers with black ribbon ties, a golden anklet on her left ankle, and golden bracelets on her wrists. Her lack of pointed ears kind of made her seem like a human, but her level of magic suggested as more than a human.

" _So, this is the pirate Sema hired, huh?"_ the girl asked. " _He's a bit out of place for the role of a protagonist, isn't he?"_

"Okay, I'm losing track," Keyon whispered. "Is Howe being complimented or insulted by a half-genie?"

" _I am Scheherazade, the royal family's… personal genie."_ the girl said, not hearing Keyon's comment. She waved her hand, and several people showed up.

One was an older blonde man with green eyes and graying hair, wearing red and white heavy armor. " _This is Duke Ferit Aksoy, general of our knights."_ Scheherazade then teasingly smiled, " _You're no doubt familiar with his daughter, Mr. Howe."_

" _Gördüğüm kişi, ilerideki savaş için kendini tam olarak örtmüyor {Who I see is not exactly covering herself up for the battle ahead},"_ the man noticed, making Sema flush in embarrassment.

" _Baba, ben gizliyim, hemen şimdi {Daddy, I'm undercover, right now}!"_ Sema protested. " _Kuleye saldırırken zırhımı giyeceğim, söz veriyorum {I'll wear my armor when attacking the tower, I promise}."_

" _İyi bir kız {Good girl},"_ Ferit nodded. Glaring at Howe, he said, " _Anything happens to her on your watch, you will be introduced to the best of my knights, including my sons."_

"Threat to my life acknowledged," Howe said, awkwardly backing up. "I would like to take this moment to say how honored I am to have been working for your lovely daughter—"

" _Do not try to make friends with me,"_ Ferit said. Howe shut his mouth.

"Can I request to be your disciple?" Keyon asked. "Anyone who can shut up Howe is a worthy teacher."

" _No."_

Another was another older man wearing a lavish white and gold cape over his bright red and brown clothing, who was sitting next to a blue-haired young woman, with green eyes, and clad in a yellow dress. Scheherazade continued, " _This is Duke Sarihan Abdil, one of our esteemed magi, and his daughter, Lady Ekin."_

" _A pleasure, Captain,"_ the woman waved at him. " _Take care of my good friend Sema, alright?"_

The third person was a dark skinned young woman wearing a pair of glasses over her brown eyes, and shoulder-length black, curly hair, wearing a green and white dress. " _This is Ozcan Kas, sitting in for her cousin Duchess Selin, and a skilled member of our riders."_

" _Hi,"_ Ozcan greeted.

The next two weren't human, but manaketes, which made Piper hide behind Howe. One was a wavy, white-haired male manakete about 6'9", wearing simple white and red robes that reminded Howe of Adem, and had a thick yet pointed goatee, bright yellow eyes, and a slight underbite. Meanwhile, the other manakete had wiry black hair, dark skin, narrow, golden eyes, the typical pointed ears of a manakete, and wearing a brown and purple cloak over his figure.

" _These two are Lord Cydris and Commander Malsum, who represent Argelia's Wind and Earth dragon tribes, respectively,"_ Scheherazade continued. Adem got onto his knees.

"Oh Büyük Cydris {Oh Great Cydris}," he breathed. "Bizi varlığınla onurlandırdın! {You honor us with Your presence}!"

" _Kwi ti nomeno, tenamalo {Oh not this, again},"_ the white haired man said with a chuckle. " _Rise up, my son. We're not doing this, right now."_

" _Right, we should hurry this up,"_ the other man, Malsum, insisted. " _This is the privateer, right?"_

" _I suppose he is,"_ a 5'11" man with a lean-yet toned build, light skin, and combed back golden hair wearing deeply dyed red armor with a golden hawk chestplate, and a silver mask on the upper half of his face with red lens said.

" _This is Casval Cecani, the leader of the Neo Crusader movement and another major templar besides my master,"_ Scheherazade said, although she frowned at seeing him. " _You're alone, Cecani? Mineva and Takehaya aren't with you?"_

" _My people are preoccupied,"_ Casval said. " _Not that it matters to you… what DOES matter is how well our privateer here and the rest of the fleet performs in tonight's battle."_

" _Eğer kuvvetleriniz onlara katılırsa daha büyük bir şansa sahip olacaklardı {They would have a greater chance if your forces were joining them},"_ a male voice said. The group saw a young man wearing a turban, wearing red and yellow armor, and one gold left eye, the right eye white, his nostrils flaring. " _Ya da ben, bu konuda {Or me, for that matter}."_

" _Orada değilsiniz çünkü yeniçeriler bizim muhafızlarımız Kiral'dır {You're not there because the janissaries are meant to be our guards, Kiral},"_ Nika remarked.

" _Elbette, İmparator Nika {Of course, Emperor Nika},"_ Kiral nodded.

" _That's Kiral, a member of the janissaries, the personal guards of the royal family,"_ Scheherazade quipped. " _He's been learning, but he doesn't speak Orobian very well."_ Ugur and Yalman were shown as well. " _You're familiar with Captains Ugur and Yalman."_

Ugur taunted, " _Güzel elbise, Aksoy. Gerçek savaşçıların cepheden vurmasına izin verin {Nice dress, Aksoy. Let real warriors strike from the front}."_

" _Kaptan Ugur, doğrudan şarj etme {Captain Ugur, don't charge straight in},"_ Sema advised. " _Bu saldırı için filo yüzde yüzde değil. Pervasız olmayı göze alamayız {The fleet isn't at one hundred percent for this attack. We can't afford to be reckless}."_

" _Howe, hope you're one a one-trick pony,"_ Yalman smirked. " _I honestly hope to work with you again."_

"I do, too, boys," Howe said, grabbing his axe.

Scheherazade finally looked at a young woman, about 16, wearing a white hijab over parts of pink hair, a pair of glasses over her large brown eyes, and a pink and gold thawb decorated with red and white beads, nervously holding a bizarre green staff. " _And this lovely young lady is Princess Kadri."_

" _U-U-Um… hello, Captain… I said that right in Orobian, right?"_ the girl said.

"I understand you, milady," Howe smiled at the shy girl. He bowed, and said, "Sirius Howe, at your service. I'm afraid my Argelian is rather pale, so I don't really know the proper greeting in Argelian."

" _It's alright,"_ Malsum remarked. " _Honestly, I appreciate the modern Orobian language. Argelian and ancient draconic are both pains in the arse, so a common language is something to work on."_

" _Selamlar, Prenses Kadri, {Greetings, Princess Kadri,}"_ Sema smiled at her friend. " _Sana söyledim, o biraz serseri ama iyi bir adam {I told you, that he's a bit crass, but a good man}."_

Kadri replied, " _Çok güzel görünüyorsun, Sema ve Habai. Bu gece dikkatli ol ve iyi şanslar {You look so beautiful, Sema and Habai. Be careful, and good luck, tonight}!"_ She then whispered, " _Oh, Sema, bence sen ve korsan birlikte sevimli olur {Oh, and Sema, I think you and the pirate would be cute together}."_ Sema blushed.

" _Alright, enough intros,"_ Malsum said. " _We have wasted enough time. We have a war to get over with."_

" _Yes,"_ Cydris nodded.

" _We only have about six minutes before we're expected back on stage,"_ Habai added.

" _Right,"_ Nika said. " _Now, the plan, Captain Aksoy, is pretty solid, but again, we had a few things we needed to discuss, seeing as your ship, Captain Howe, is our secret weapon."_

"Thank you for your trust," Howe nodded.

" _But the problem we have is that with your ship being so fragile, we don't know how much of a beating it can take with the battle ahead,"_ Malsum said. " _And there's the rather understaffed crew you have."_

" _I know I would feel a LOT more comfortable with my daughter's safety in your hands if you had a few more hands,"_ Ferit said. " _So, I've taken the liberty of scouting a few hands for you."_

Suddenly, the group heard heavy wing beats. The _Sabine's_ crew looked to see a giant, brown, bat flapping towards them, carrying a heavily armored young man with brown curly hair, dark skin, and holding an iron lance in his feet. The man was then dropped on the deck, and pushed up in time to avoid the lance. He then looked up at the bat, scowling. The bat then landed, turning to a pale-skinned man with slicked-back black hair, large bat wings, wearing a black semi-open shirt exposing his very furry chest, and gray pants. His wings then folded, giving the appearance of a cape.

"Beni düşürmek zorunda değildin, seni serseri {You didn't have to drop me, you asshole}!" the knight scowled.

"Şimdi burdayız, değil mi {We're here now, aren't we}?" the bat beastman shrugged. "Ya da en azından sanırım öyleyiz. Bu bir kesici, ancak Lady Sema'yı güvende tutmak için kiminle birlikte çalıştığımıza dair bir önizleme sunulmuyor {Or at least, I think we are. This IS a cutter, but we haven't exactly been given a preview as to who we're working with to keep Lady Sema safe}."

"Tut, {Hold on}," the knight frowned, looking at the holograms. He then asked, "Gentlemen, which one of you is Captain Howe? I'm Yildiz, the vampire bat is Vladimir. We're your new recruits as ordered by Duke Aksoy because you're working for his daughter who is working for the Emperor. Have they explained that, yet?"

" _I could not have timed that any better,"_ Ferit said. " _Yildiz was one of my knights that I personally trained. If my daughter didn't love the ocean too much, he'd be her bodyguard. Vladimir is a representative of the bat clan, and a formidable fighter."_

"Thanks," Howe said, walking forward. He then said, "You Argelians don't mind sailing under a Giussean pirate, do you?"

"As long as you are loyal to Lady Sema, then no," Yildiz replied.

"I hope you're as good as the lady says," Vladimir smiled.

" _Now, remember,"_ Malsum said to Howe. " _You're the bait, Captain Howe. You, on Captain Aksoy's signal, go in, draw their fire, and lure the Ustrosi ships to where our fleet will engage. You keep them distracted until Captain Aksoy is in range to destroy the cannon tower. Once it's down, move in and eliminate the rest of the fleet while Aksoy's soldiers deal with any ground forces, and Nourdari will be controlled by the Empire. You humans can then take it from there, with one of Orobia's largest port towns waving the flag."_

"Got it," Howe nodded. "So, what's your story, manakete? You're clearly old, but you're not expecting people to bow like any other dragon god. How did you get to be the tactician of the Empire?"

" _I damn near conquered that continent in my youth,"_ Malsum replied. " _The local remaining dragon god, Gargec, would have let me do it, too."_

" _He's serious,"_ every Argelian present but Kadri and Ekin said, much to Howe's shock.

"Okay," Howe said. "So you just sit back?"

" _I'm not the arrogant, war-hungry youth I was back in my day,"_ Malsum said. " _This sad affair is just dirty business. Just do your job, Captain."_

" _And purr-lease, protect Sema for me,"_ Kadri said. She then gasped, covering her mouth while Nika, Sema, Habai, Scheherazade, Kiral, and Ekin shared concerned looks. " _Baba… belki gitmeliyim… Anne'yi kontrol etmeliyim {Father… maybe I should go… check on Mother}."_ Kadri then walked away, but Howe briefly spotted something swish as she turned around and ran out of the astral plate's range. Kiral and Ekin quickly followed Kadri.

Before Howe could address this, Nika interjected, " _Forgive my dear sweet daughter. Both her and her mother aren't exactly akin to the concept of war. To me, this job is a necessary evil."_ He then turned to Sema, and said, " _Kaptan Aksoy, savaşın bir parçası için hazırlan. Varlığınızla kendim konuşmak istiyorum {Captain Aksoy, prepare for your part of the battle. I would like to talk to your asset by myself}."_

" _Evet, İmparator. İmparatoriçe Chitra için {Yes, Emperor. For Empress Chitra},"_ Sema nodded. She said to Howe, " _If everything works, I'll see you again in front of the statue of Queen Kalia they have here. It's nice to look at."_ She and Habai then faded away… alongside almost everyone else but Nika and Scheherazade. Nika looked at Howe.

" _Captain Howe, it's no secret you're not what exactly I planned for when I sent Captain Aksoy to recruit a criminal to serve as one of our privateers,"_ Nika said. " _I'm still disappointed that you killed Zrisse, preventing us from getting an inside man in the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, but I cannot ignore your success. That's why I requested you on the front lines. If you succeed, you've more than made up for your interference in Argelia's goals. If you perish in the next battle, your punishment is already dealt with. If Captain Aksoy dies and you could have prevented it, then I will let Duke Aksoy have you since you failed to protect my daughter's best friend. Either way, this battle will resolve your involvement in these affairs."_

"So my crew and I are pretty much cannon fodder that happens to be useful," Howe concluded.

" _No matter what degree of attraction Captain Aksoy has for you, you're STILL a privateer, Captain,"_ Nika admitted with a frown. " _I may respect you coming up from virtually nothing more than having a grandfather who was a war hero because I myself was an orphaned young man who was barely able to become a templar before I met a young Chitra, but you are not an official Argelian soldier. My position as Chitra's husband and Kadri's father leaves me no choice but to be wary of you, since it is my daughter's friend risking her neck for you. Do NOT let me down, Captain. Nika out."_ Nika nodded to Scheherazade, who cut off the transmission.

"…That is one intimidating Emperor," Howe said.

"And yet, Captain, he has an adorable little girl," Piper said. "I hope when I have a daughter, she's just as adorable!"

"Well, he's huge, acknowledges we're some kind of suicide squad, and is not above death threats," Keyon said. "But the man had a shield decorated in rhinestones, most likely because his daughter and her friends got bored one night when they were little girls. How can you take that seriously?"

"The fact that he's willing to carry that kind of screams that he doesn't care about the potential embarrassment," Howe said. Looking at his now slightly expanded crew. "My Vice Captain is right. Nourdari is, by all extents, going to be a challenge to take. Most of Ustros' fleet is there, the powerful cannon tower is present and well-defended, and that's just between us and the ground battle… I just hope Captain Aksoy's troops can handle it. She's separated from the _Eccentric,_ and that leaves her slightly more vulnerable _._ Which is why we have to step up and lead the naval assault. She has trusted us this far, so we should more than live up to that trust. We should show the world Vice Captain: raise us to full-sail, and let fly our colors!"

"Aye-aye!" Keyon said, not at all resisting.

* * *

 **Town of Nourdari—Hours Later**

Sema and Habai, still in their dancer outfits, walked out of the tavern they were performing in. Habai reported, "Sanırım şehrin batı yakasındaki askerlerin çoğunu Sema'ya uyuşturmayı başardık {I think we managed to drug most of the soldiers on the west side of town, Sema}."

"Ve diğer birliklerin şu an şehrin doğu tarafını almalıydı {And our other troops should have gotten the east side of town, by now}," Sema nodded. "Şimdi, top kulesini devirmeye hazırlanmak için herhangi bir pozisyona geçmek gibi iyi bir zaman. Savaş başladı {Now is as good of a time as any to get into position to get ready to take down the cannon tower. The battle has started}." Habai nodded.

The two Argelians walked through town and down an alley, when they found themselves facing non-drugged Ustrosi soldiers, all armed. In Orobian, Habai greeted, "Good evening, gentlemen. What are you soldiers doing at this hour?"

" _Oh, they're hunting,"_ a male voice said. The two women turned behind them to see Argelian soldiers… but a mage holding an astral plate which projected Ugur. " _Hunting for the Argelian spies who put sedatives in their companions' drinks! They're grateful I told them your plan."_

"Uğur, güç oyunu yapmak için korkunç bir zaman seçtiniz {Ugur, you have chosen a terrible time to make a power play!}" Sema growled.

"Ya da daha kötüsü, bu saldırının lideri olarak geçilmek için intikam almak {Or worse, getting revenge for being passed over as the leader of this attack}," Habai added.

" _Bu küçük bir parça olsa da, bunu yapmamın tek nedeni değil {While that's a small part, it's not the sole reason why I'm doing this},"_ Ugur answered. " _Düşes Avdin, şehrin fethedilmesini istemiyor, ama tamamen yıkılmış, Ustros'un moralini bozguna uğratıyor. Bir savaş kahramanının doğum yeri ve geç prenses konsorsiyumu {Duchess Avdin wants the city not conquered, but destroyed completely, to shatter Ustros' morale. It was the birthplace of one war heroine and the late princess consort.}"_ He then added, " _Ayrıca, bu sinsi etrafı sersemlemeyi ve barışçıl iş yapmayı sevmiyorum ve yüz yüze savaşmayı tercih ediyorum {Also, I don't like this whole sneaking around and peaceful business, and I prefer warfare waged face to face.}"_

"Avdin…!" Sema scowled. One of the Ustrosi heroes lunged at her. However, Sema surprised him by dodging the way out the sword stab, and ramming the bottom her palm into his nose with enough force to not only break it, but shove it into his brain, killing him. She then grabbed his silver sword as his body fell, and blocked a second mercenary, allowing Habai to wave her hands and turned Sema's clothes into a red armored breastplate over a yellow short-sleeved shirt and chainmail, her traditional red hat, brown light armored brown leggings, and her boots. As for herself, Habai turned her own dancer's dress into her standard clothing, but also summoned a beaststone. With a flash, another Ustrosi soldier was pounced upon by a giant spotted cat, which wasted next to no time tearing his jugular out with her claws.

" _Tamam, bu iki tarafın neredeymiş {Okay, where was this side of you two}?"_ Ugur asked while Sema slashed down another Ustrosi soldier.

"Kaybını asgari düzeyde tutmaya çalışmak, ancak gerektiğinde tereddüt etmeden grev yapmaya hazırdır {Trying to keep casualties to a minimum, but prepared to strike without hesitation if need be}," Sema answered after she and the transformed Habai finished off the Ustrosi patrol, save for one pegasus knight who wisely flew off after seeing Sema kill a man while unarmed. "İmparatoriçe'nin huzurunu korumak, ancak şiddete hazırlıklı olmak öncelikli ev Aksoy politikasıdır {It is House Aksoy policy to prioritize keeping the Empress' peace, but to be prepared for violence}." She then pointed her sword at Ugur's hologram while Habai returned to her genie form, using magic to clean herself off. "Düşes Avdin, Uğur için bana ihanet ettin. O berbat kadın hala olmaması gereken yere müdahale ediyor. İkimiz de bununla yaşadığımızda seni neden öldürmemem gerektiğini söyle {You betrayed me for Duchess Avdin, Ugur. That wretched woman is still interfering where she shouldn't. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you if we both live through this}."

" _Çünkü itiraf edeceğiniz gibi, bu savaşta gücüme ihtiyacın var {Because as loathe as you are to admit it, you need my strength in this battle}."_ Sema gritted her teeth. " _Duchess Avdin, itiraf etmelisiniz ki, İmparator Konsorsundan şüphelenmek ve bu savaşı ve Argelia'yı nasıl yönettiğiyle ilgili bir noktaya sahip. İki yıldan fazla bir süredir İmparatoriçe'den bir peep olmadı ve şu anda İmparator Consort herhangi bir soruya cevap vermiyor. Sen prensesin en iyi arkadaşı olarak, bunu şüpheli bulmuyor musun {Not to mention the fact that you have to admit, Duchess Avdin has a point about being suspicious about the Emperor Consort and how he's running this war and Argelia. There hasn't been a peep from the Empress about it for over two years, now, and the Emperor Consort isn't answering any questions. Don't you, as the princess' best friend, find this suspicious}?"_

Sema brushed off, "Bu tartışma için zamanımız yok. Yapıldım, o yüzden acele etmeliyim {We don't have time for this debate. I've been made, so I have to hurry}." She then turned around, and ran towards the cannon tower, while Habai followed her. "Sirius, çok üzgünüm ... Bunu yapana kadar hayatta kalmak için sana güvenmeliyim {Sirius, I'm so sorry... I have to rely on you to survive until I can pull this off}!"

* * *

 **Ustrosi Waters, Near Port of Nourdari**

The battle had begun on the seas. The _Sabine,_ having sunk three ships, was trying to navigate her way through the intense cannon fire exchanged between the Argelian fleet and the Ustrosi fleet that had, despite being just thrown together with half staff, was giving them a hard time, and avoiding being hit by either side. "We would NEVER have been take Nourdari if we didn't go with your lovely female captain's plan!" Torio called over the cannon fire. "Captain Howe, what's your plan for getting us through this, though!?"

"We're going to pick off any ships that's giving the rest of the fleet the most trouble!" Howe answered. He then called up to the lookout, "Piper, what do you see?"

"I see… got it!" Piper replied. "Port side, cog! It's going for one of our weaker ships!"

"Good spot," Keyon said, looking through his own spyglass. "Howe, I suggest we get behind it and shoot out the rudder! Then finish it off while it can't turn!"

"That I can do!" Howe said, turning the _Sabine_ to engage the cog. As she made her approach, the _Sabine_ was grazed by cannonfire. However, Howe couldn't tell where the damage came from… until he heard a boom heading his way. He was barely able to turn the _Sabine_ in time to avoid his ship getting hit head on in a fatal spot, instead having part of the stern splintered. "Someone fix that leak!" he ordered.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Vladimir called, going to do just that.

"Captain Howe, what's going on?" Yildiz questioned.

Howe answered "Either the cannon tower's staff has realized we're not friendly, or they're just shooting at everyone who ISN'T flying a carp flag!"

"Carp flag?" the knight questioned.

"Ustros' flag has a red winged carp!" Howe answered. "I know, I've had to see it for YEARS! But the point stands that Nourdari's cannon tower is still firing!"

"But that means Lady Sema isn't finished, yet!" Yildiz concluded. "She's usually much more prompt than this!"

"Brace!" Howe called. Everyone held on as the _Sabine_ took another hit that Adem took to fixing. "I'll check on it after we destroy that damn cog before it goes after another ship and get out of the tower's range!" He then got them behind the cog. "Fire!"

 _ **BOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The cog was soon sinking, and Howe quickly guided the _Sabine_ to safety. "Torio, fire up the astral plate! If Habai's there, she'll pick up for Captain Aksoy!" Torio channeled his magic, while Kairi looked around, and spotted something that widened her eyes.

"Belay sono junjo, Torio {Belay that order, Torio}!" Kairi said. She then called out to Howe. "We're going to be rammed!"

"Oh damn it!" Howe scowled, seeing the incoming cutter. "Brace yourselves!" The crew did, and the cutter rammed them, flying the Ustrosi flag. They were soon boarded by the Ustrosi.

"Kill these freelancing pirate scum!" one of the boarders called. However, it was his last words before a hand axe found its way into his chest.

"You lot are interrupting a very important astral plate call!" Howe said before grabbing his real steel axe. He then jumped down from the helm, and onto the deck, and slashed down a soldier, before engaging a barbarian. "Torio, finish the call! Everyone else, protect Torio!"

"Aye-aye!" Keyon said, slashing an unfortunate ifrit woman in her arm with his dagger before elbowing her in the stomach and grabbing her with his whip to choke her.

Kairi, meanwhile, displayed her quick skill against a rival pirate fighter, blocking his attack while Piper, who had finally climbed down, entered the fray against another mercenary. Yildiz blocked an Ustrosi pegasus knight with his massive shield, and used his iron lance to stab an incoming mercenary before he could go after Howe. When the pegasus knight tried to press her attack, the deck suddenly erupted, and from it emerged Vladmir's bat form, who tackled her pegasus and sent all three of them flying into the water. The pegasus knight emerged from the water without her steed, and started frantically trying to swim… but didn't get far when Vladimir emerged from behind her, fangs bared and introducing themselves to her neck with a sickening crunch.

"Wow, I heard bats were vicious fighters," Piper grimaced after cutting down her opponent, "but I didn't think I'd ever see it."

"Focus, Piper!" Torio called, launching a fireball at a final mercenary. He then finally got in contact with Habai, who seemed panicked. "Habai-san, taihō no tō ni mondai ga arimasu. Watashitachi wa anata to Aksoy jō ga ima made ni sore o hakai suru to omotte imashita {Miss Habai, we're having a problem with the cannon tower. We thought you and Lady Aksoy would have it destroyed by now}."

Habai apologized, _"Watashitachi mo saigo ni mondai ga arimasu. Ugur to Duchess Avdin taii no okage de, watashitachi no keikaku wa kōkai sa remashita. Watashitachiha, imaya watashitachi ga ito shita ijō no teikō de mitasa rete imasu {We're having a problem on our end, as well. Thanks to Captain Ugur and Duchess Avdin, our plan has been exposed, and we're now being met with more resistance than we intended}."_

"Shuteng no ainotameni {For the love of Shuteng}," Torio muttered. In Orobian, he said to Howe, "Captain Howe, Ugur has screwed us over!"

"What!?" Howe asked before angrily slicing down a cavalier and proceeding to kill a rogue. He then finally pried his hand axe he had thrown earlier from the corpse of the soldier who lead the initial attack, and threw it at the Ustrosi captain, killing him. As the Ustrosi were thrown off by Howe's surprising display of brutality, Howe walked over to Habai while letting Keyon deal with the surrendering crew. "What happened, Habai?"

" _Sirius!"_ Sema called, her face expressing relief. " _You're okay! Thank Cydris! But you look a little winded…."_

"Oh, just defeated a group that ambushed us after we had to pull back for repairs," Howe said while Keyon had the surviving crew repair the _Sabine_. "What about you?"

" _Just had to fight off a few more Ustosi than I though I'd have to,"_ Sema answered. " _I'm sorry… this would be almost over had I forgot that I was in the middle of a rivalry with Ugur, and he'd do anything to sabotage my plan, and make me look incompetent so he could take the glory of Nourdari himself. He exposed me and Habai as spies, and now, we're scrambling to complete our mission! You and the rest of the fleet have to hold out longer than we thought!"_

"Oh, right, you two are competing for that Admiralty position that opened up," Howe said. "Well, we'll patch ourselves up, here, but we can hold as long as we stay out of the cannon tower's range." He then heard a rumble, and looked to see an Argelian ship sinking thanks to the . "Damn it…!"

" _Sirius, see if there are any survivors!"_ Sema ordered. " _But be careful! Every life lost is on my conscience, since this was my plan! I'll try to finish on my end!"_ She then spotted an Ustrosi coming into the astral plate's range, and sliced the woman down.

"Aye-aye," Howe nodded. After Torio cut the connection, Howe ran up and grabbed the helm. "First thing's first, though… Adem, Anna, tend to our wounded while we rescue them, and somebody load the cannons so I can blow up this ship that rammed mine."

"That second part is a bit petty," Kairi said, "but I understand that its best to get rid of it."

"But I have an idea," Keyon smirked. "Anna, remember Howe's message to the Thieves Guild?" Anna blinked, but them smirked when she realized just where Keyon was going with this.

Several moments later, Howe sailed towards to the wreckage, being pursued by some Ustrosi ships. But as they passed by, Anna aimed a cannon at the now unmanned ship, and lit the fuse.

" **Cha-ching!"** Anna called before firing the cannon. The cannon hit the barrels full of gunpowder, resulting in a massive explosion, sending up several Ustrosi and lighting the sea aflame. "That was the jackpot shot."

"And you people call me brutal," Vladimir said, watching the wreckage.

"We have survivors!" Howe called. Howe found a few Argelians still alive in the water. Using his sea-walking ability and Vladmir's transformation, the crew of the _Sabine_ were able to save a female Templar, a wyvern knight, a fellow pirate, a nasna, and an earth manakete. Once they were all on board, Howe had Torio fire up the astral plate.

"Where is that foolhardy captain…?" Howe growled. Soon enough, Ugur showed up, holding a struggling pegasus knight in his grip. "Ugur, you arsehole! We had a plan! You deviated from it!"

" _That's a bit hypocritical, coming from a man who was nearly executed for mutiny since you didn't like the orders given,"_ Ugur replied. He then slashed his victim down, making Piper and Anna flinch at the woman's screams. " _You think you'd approve…."_

"The difference between my mutiny and this act of treason is that I was genuinely trying to save as many lives as I could from a ruthless pirate crew, while you're trying to kill the one person who is in the way of a promotion!" Howe argued. "In the middle of a huge battle that could decide the war!"

" _That's not the only reason why this is being done,"_ a new, female voice said. The Argelians aboard the ship all snapped up at that. Broadcasting nearby was a fair-skinned woman, about in her mid 20s at the earliest or her early 30s at the oldest, with light brown hair in curls, wearing a bright white and pink dress that accented her chest, a pair of sharp-looking, red-rimmed glasses, and a pair of long, white gloves. " _So, you're this upstart privateer that the Emperor Consort tried so hard to stop me from meeting. Was he afraid that I'd use my natural feminine wiles to seduce you from being loyal to his daughter's little pet best friend? Lack the bird features, though, Zrisse."_

"Zrisse has been dead for a couple months, now," Howe said. "I'm filling in."

" _Oh. Well, that's disappointing,"_ the woman said. " _Still, I'd be rude to not introduce myself. I'm Duchess Avdin Demirkol, and I control the most territory of Argelia after the royal family, including Empress Chitra and her dear younger sister, Princess Maya."_

"A pleasure to meet you, but you could have chosen a better time," Howe said.

" _Actually, I chose the perfect time for this,"_ Avdin answered. " _After all… I can imagine how useful the two of us can be to each other. In fact, I bet I could be far more useful to you besides being 'easy on the eyes' than little Miss Aksoy."_

"If you're expecting me to leave Captain Aksoy to die," Howe said, "then don't keep your hopes up. I have a line of people who will want me dead."

" _On the contrary,"_ Avdin said. " _I need her alive."_

" _Ne {What}!?"_ Ugur growled.

" _Sacking, Uğur için cezasız kaldığınız için kime ait olduğunu unutma, {Don't forget who you owe for your lack of punishment for the Sacking, Ugur},"_ Avdin replied. " _Şimdi Aksoy'un kızı için 'bir kaza düzenlemek' planladığınız emri geri verin {Now rescind that order you have planned to 'arrange an accident' for Aksoy's daughter}."_ Ugur grumbled, but disconnected. Avdin took advantage of Howe's struggle to translate to turn to him, " _Now, Captain… I suggest you get back to the battle, now that Ugur has been reeled in. I have a feeling you and I will be working quite well together…."_ With that, she disconnected.

"...What a weird woman," Piper said.

"That's Avdin for you," the templar woman moaned in pain. "But that's putting it incredibly nicely, mercenary. Still, we owe you our lives, Captain Howe."

"You're welcome," Howe nodded. "Now, let's get going. We have a battle to win."

"Captain, a word before we rejoin the battle," Keyon said. "With all due respect: why the hell are we still here?" Howe blinked in confusion. "We're wounded, our ship is not going to survive much more cannon fire, our supplies are limited, our plan has been exposed, that tower is pummeling the entire fleet, and despite drugging them, the Ustrosi military is still able to fight with nearly full force! And on top of that, we have powerhouses like Ugur and Avdin against us! You do realize that now, we're being dragged into a political game that's FAR beyond us, right? This Avdin woman has an agenda, had somehow overheard our conversation with the Emperor Consort, and is currently using your attraction and loyalty to Aksoy to control YOU. The best thing we could do is retreat, patch our wounds up, and leave Captain Aksoy to finish this."

"We can't," Howe replied. "I know you're not the hugest fan of being dragged into my shenanigans, Keyon, but we both heard the Emperor Consort and Captain's Aksoy's father's threats to have me executed if anything happens to Captain Aksoy and I could have prevented it. If we don't play along, we're dead. If we do, she has us in her pocket. No matter what we do, we are in too deep to get out of this, now. But I'm going to save Captain Aksoy, not because I want to play this woman's games… but because it's the right thing to do and I want to LIVE without ticking off the entire Argelian army!"

"...I hate it when you're right," Keyon frowned. "As much as I hate being dragged into something against my will, I do like living long enough to get out of it." He then said, "Alright, no more objections from me, only because our lives are at stake."

"Glad we agree." Cannon fire erupted, splashing down near them. "Alright, enough talking." Howe grabbed the helm once again, and said, "I know we're battered, and we're kind of down, but we're far from out! The Ustrosi may have one of the best navies in the world… but that was only one! They PALE in comparison to the strength of the Argelian Empire, who conquered your continent, and the tactics of Giuss, who know how to sail because the ocean is OUR lives. And while the rest of you may be Argelian, I'm Giussean! And the Ustrosi KNOW that! You should be honored they're throwing everything they have at us. Let's repay that honor by showing them what we can do!" Everyone cheered, and Howe turned the ship back into the battle…

Only to find several of the Ustrosi ships withdrawing, sailing away from the battle, but not towards Nourdari. "This isn't right," Keyon observed.

"...Oh damn," Howe said. "Where's Ugur?" Howe turned to Torio, and demanded, "Get Ugur on! And while you're at it, get Captain Yalman on!"

"Aye-aye," Torio nodded. He then managed to get Yalman.

" _Howe, what's going on?"_ Yalman questioned. " _You seem panicked…."_

"I want you to get the fleet to move! We need to get ready to brace ourselves!" Howe answered. "We have to prepare for a serious threat! Now where's Ugur!?"

He was answered when Ugur's massive man-of-war sailed past the _Sabine._ "I'll chase them down, Howe!" Ugur called as he passed. "Not a single Ustrosi ship will survive this attack!"

"Ugur, wait!" Howe called. However, Ugur didn't turn around. "Damn it! Right into a trap!"

" _A trap?"_ Yalman asked. " _But I thought we were all out of the range of the cannon tower… and Captain Aksoy was about to destroy it."_

"So the Ustrosi didn't decide to surrender?" Adem questioned.

"No," Howe scowled, holding the helm. "It means they're preparing to unleash something, and just lured away our biggest gun."

 _ **BOOOOOOOM!**_

One of the Argelian ships exploded. When everyone looked at the destruction, they spotted a heavily armed schooner sailing towards them. "We don't have a ship that could take that," Piper said. "Well, we sort of did…."

" _Ugur's,"_ Yalman agreed. " _That man's bloodlust is gonna one day be the death of a lot of good men and women."_

"That we can agree on," Keyon said, before looking at Howe, who had walked down, watching the chaos as several more ships came under fire by the schooner. Howe then snapped out of it, and looked at Torio.

"Get me Sema," he ordered.

"I'm sorry?" Torio asked.

"Get me Captain Aksoy right now, Xuhuan!" Howe snapped. Torio was taken aback by Howe losing his cool, and got in contact with Sema and Habai, both looking exhausted, slightly cut up, and their hair a mess.

" _Sirius?"_ Sema asked. " _What's wrong?"_

"Ugur's chasing the Ustrosi fleet, leaving the rest of us sitting ducks for Ustros' hidden weapon: a heavily armed schooner!" Howe said. "Please tell me you've gotten the tower taken out, so we can retreat INWARD towards Nourdari!"

" _A schooner!?"_ Sema asked. " _Then that must be Nourdari's fiercest captain: Captain Raita! She's not going to be easy to defeat… she's a powerful jann!"_

" _We're going to level with you, Sirius,"_ Habai said. " _We honestly thought WE'D be the ones fighting Raita here in the tower. For her to join the naval battle: she must be confident in the cannon tower's final line of defense OR she wants to destroy our fleet herself. We're still not finished."_

"Damn," Howe growled. Another ship took a fatal hit. "We're stuck between a powerful captain and a large death trap of a cannon tower!"

" _I don't know what to tell you, Sirius,"_ Sema said. " _Just please… hold on a little longer. I can handle myself and destroy the tower."_ She flinched, holding her side.

"Sema!" Howe called.

" _I told you that was more than 'just a scratch',"_ Habai complained. " _Sema got an arrow in the side a little bit ago that I already moved and healed to the best of my ability, but she insisted on pressing onward. She's tough, Captain Howe… so when you two meet later, know that she'll have stamina."_

" _Habai, not now!"_ Sema said, her face pink. Another ship was hit.

" _I'm going to order a retreat!"_ Yalman said. " _We're losing too many ships!"_

"Yalman, wait!" Howe called. "...I'll go and take out Raita."

" _You!?"_ Yalman said. " _I know you're damn brave and skilled, Howe, but taking on a high-level jann!? With only an axe!? I didn't know you were suicidal."_

"What am I supposed to do?" Howe questioned. "If we retreat now, Sema, Habai, and their whole crew are as good as dead, all the lives lost tonight will have been in vain, and we'll never get another chance at Nourdari. The whole war depends on us taking this city right here and now!"

"Howe, it's a powerful djinn," Keyon said. "We're good, and we may have a templar aboard, but even those are going to protect us from the crew of a schooner. We're probably not going to get out of this alive…" Howe frowned, but his eyes widened as another Argelian ship was destroyed… before Howe scowled.

"Ugur's going to get the whole damn fleet destroyed at this rate!" He rushed towards the helm.

 _"Captain,"_ Sema said, _"be careful! I'm just as mad, but it's not worth throwing your life away!"_

"If I don't do something about that schooner, the fleet WILL have to retreat!" Howe argued, sailing towards the ship in question. "Your cover's already blown, Sema! If I don't deal with the schooner, soon, we'll have to leave you behind, and since Ustros has brutal prisons, I don't want to think about what the Ustrosi will do to a lovely Argelian commander, and that's assuming they don't decide to immediately execute you! My crew and I have got this… you focus on destroying that tower!" Sema blushed at the complement.

" _Howe, before you do this,"_ Yalman said, " _I have something for you… come towards my ship."_ Howe reluctantly did so. When he did, a black and yellow axe with a golden blade embedded itself into his deck. Yalman looked at Howe. "If you're going to go djinn-hunting," Yalman explained, "go djinn-hunting with the right equipment. That Mage Reaper is made of orichalcum, the metal toxic to genies. You know the empire has this aplenty, right?"

" _It is true,"_ Habai answered. " _I'm surprised you had it, Yalman. Should I know something?"_

"...Ugur forced me to get him that," Yalman answered, coming aboard with a lance in hand. "I regret it, Habai, but I'll make it up to you."

" _You better, Yalman, by saving me with Captain Howe,"_ Habai smiled. " _We'll try to press on, and then shut down the tower. Prepare to move the fleet in when it's done."_

" _Be careful, Sirius,"_ Sema pleaded.

"You too," Howe replied. Howe then sailed the _Sabine_ towards the schooner, lighting it up with cannon fire as she made her approach.

Aboard the schooner, a female djinn with raven black hair in a beehive haircut, magical green eyes, wearing a blue light armored top, and and black pants, watched the approaching _Sabine._ "I honestly didn't think any of these Argelian lions actually had the fangs," the djinn sneered before summoning a flying carpet and her tome. "But that's not an Argelian. That's a Giussean. Prepare to be boarded!" Howe and his crew then rammed the ship, and then climbed aboard, but not alone… the Argelians they managed to save and were eager for payback joined them.

"I'm going to give you a chance to surrender, Captain Raita!" Howe said, brandishing his new axe. "I don't want to kill you, but I will."

"Well, you're an interesting sort, Giussean," the djinn, Raita, said. "Wait… Giussean accent, those clothes, and your knowledge of Nourdari's waters… you're Dilazak's boy! He always did look down on Orobians! Where is that coward? I've been looking for an excuse to kill him."

"I'm no longer his 'boy'," Howe assured her. "But I'm here on behalf of a different person. Which is why, if you value your lives, you're going to throw down your arms, and surrender."

"I should be asking you that," Raita replied. "You know, when I heard Dilazak was in the area the night our beloved princess consort who was with child was butchered by the Argelian dogs, I made a vow to one day execute him and anyone who was loyal to his decision to leave her to die!" Pointing a finger at him, she said, "Thank you for making it easy to hunt you down! It won't bring back Lady Najiyya or even King Usman or Queen Kalia… but it sure as hell will put a smile on their ghosts' faces to know the scum who let Najiyya and her unborn child be murdered in cold blood have finally faced justice! Attack!"

She and her crew then launched their counterattack against Howe and his crew. Unfortunately for Howe, there were several forces between him and Raita. Luckily for Howe, he had several grateful Argelian soldiers allied to him at that particular moment AND Yalman, who was quite the skilled privateer with his weapons of axes and lances. Still, it wasn't a straight line between Howe and Raita, and Howe had to fight personally no less than five people to get to her.

Not that he couldn't do so.

Howe slashed an Ustrosi knight's lance in two before slamming his axe into his armored chest. After prying his axe from the knight's corpse, he parried the sword of a mercenary that only grazed his right cheek. However, he pushed the attacker's weapon enough to quickly headbutt him, and while the mercenary was stunned, he grabbed the mercenary's throat, and slammed him against the deck. It didn't kill him, but incapacitated him enough to let Howe press on. He dodged arrows and magic blasts from his two newest attackers, an explorer and a dark mage. At least, until Howe closed the distance to the explorer, who hit him in the upper arm of his off-hand with one arrow, but Howe ignored it to swing his axe with full force, slicing down both foes. Howe then pulled out his hand axe once again, and threw it at the final soldier in his way, killing the man. Howe took this moment to catch his breath while Adem ran across the path of destruction, and carefully removed the arrow before healing him. Howe smirked before seeing the mercenary from before picking himself up, and was about to plunge his sword into Adem's chest….

 _ **SHNNK!**_

Yalman, however, prevented that. He nodded at Howe, who turned towards Raita, who had blasted away an Argelian soldier. She then looked at Howe, and saw his axe blade. She hissed, "Orichalcum! So you felt the need to cheat to fight me!?"

"It's not cheating if it's smart tactics!" Howe answered, leaping at her.

However, he missed because Raita flew out of his swing's range on her carpet, and she countered by slamming a light spell into him, slamming him off the ship. Howe recovered, and used his water-walking to get back towards the ship, despite the new wound on his arm and his coat tattered. Vladmir, after killing another mercenary, flew down.

" **Are you okay, Captain?"** Vladmir asked Howe.

"I'll be okay," Howe said. He looked at Raita floating down near them.

"You're one stubborn villain, I'll admit," the genie said, hands on her hips. "You're far from that weak coward, Dilazak. At least you're willing to face me like a man. Too bad you couldn't bring yourself to defend the Orobian queens… maybe I could have spared you. However, your apathy to the queens, and choice to side with the Argelians has sealed your fate!" She charged up another light spell, but Vladmir grabbed Howe and swooped up with him as the spell slammed into her ship.

"I'll give you that much, for certain," Howe admitted. "Captain Dilazak is a coward and rather apathetic to what happened to the Orobian queens the night of the massacre. He's never ONCE apologized for putting profit in front of human life. But me? Oh, I DO care. In fact, the reason I was eventually kicked off Dilazak's ship and ended up as a privateer was because I cared far too much for Dilazak's liking and could never get over the fact that I'm the villain of my own damn story because I let my cowardice of losing my job get the better of me that night and couldn't forgive myself in countless lifetimes! But this war's horror, that I started, will only end if I FORCE it! That's why I've stayed with Argelia… they're the side that can force it! If it means forcing everyone on this continent bend the knee so we make people talk, so be it!" He ignored the shocked look of his Giussean crew when he then leapt from Vladimir and slashed her carpet, sending her tumbling onto the ship, him after her. Both of them slowly stood up, panting.

"You think joining the Argelians will end this in a positive!?" Raita asked. "Wow… you're not just as bad as that dastard, Dilazak! You're actually WORSE! You're a deluded psychopath! Their Empress is evil incarnate! Their treatment of genies, their political games, their numerous conquests is more than enough proof that you've chosen the wrong side in this if you want to be considered the redeemed!"

"Everyone has differing definitions of 'hero' and 'evil'," Howe said. He then said, "My grandfather, Novan Howe, was a hero to me because when Giuss and Orobia needed him, he got things DONE, even if some people disagree with his methods. Some thought he was a villain BECAUSE of his methods and how they didn't play into honor or the politics of the times."

"Mochiron, anata wa watashi o kono naka ni tsuretekimasu {Of course you bring me into this}!" Kairi and Torio both interjected.

"As for some of these Argelians, I saved their lives, tonight," Howe said. "And I've saved more lives by being the blunt instrument of a good woman than I ever did serving Dilazak. If you want to be saved, too, this is your last chance. Put the tome down, and surrender. Do not make me use this axe."

"You're right about one thing," Raita said. "Everyone seems to have a different moral compass. But something tells me that yours is sharp enough to stab your supposed friends in the back when their goals no longer meet what you think is right!" She then charged up her spell, while Howe ran at her.

* * *

 **Nourdari Cannon Tower**

While Howe was waging the naval war, Sema and Habai weren't having the easiest time, themselves. Sema's coat was torn up, the mail she wearing covered in dirt and blood, and her pigtails were now loose and her hair was flowing, and she stood panting, looking behind her in mild disappointment and sadness. Habai was holding her wounded leg, and her dress was torn. But both women looked ahead, and saw the awed and fearful cannon operators.

"This was NOT supposed to end in such a degree in bloodshed," Sema said in Orobian. She pulled out a rapier, and pointed it at them. "Lay down your arms, and surrender. I do not wish to kill anyone else, tonight."

"You Imperial dogs thinks you can destroy our city, murder our princess consort in cold blood, make our queen fall into despair and die, make our king follow her, and then conquer our city!?" one of the Ustrosi bombardiers spat. "We're going to sink your whole damn fleet, Argelian bitch! And then, we'll make you howl like the dog you are!"

"Cat," Habai interjected.

"...Excuse you?"

"Argelia's flag has a pink lioness on it," Habai explained. "A lion is classified as a large cat. Argo, we're cats, and you should try to insult us appropriately. Coincidentally, you all are fish, and cats EAT fish. Therefore, we can devour you if you don't lay down your arms."

"...Damn you and your logic!" the cannonier scowled. He grabbed a lance, and tried to charge at her. However, Habai summoned an Arcwind tome and unleashed a spell, pinning him to the wall. But not for long, as she had to hold her leg once again, forcing her to stop the spell and drop him where he groaned in pain. One of the Argelian soldiers tried to take advantage of this by lunging at her with his sword, but Sema's sword blocked his. The two got in a brief sword fight, but it was ended quickly, since Sema was faster despite her own injury, and Sema stabbed him through the stomach. As she let him drop after pulling out her rapier, she turned to the last remaining person there… the pegasus knight who reported her, now trembling.

"Please. Surrender," Sema requested. The woman whimpered, but she dropped her lance, and raised her hands. Sema nodded in appreciation, and walked by her, kicking away her lance just in case the woman decided to go back on her word, to look at the cannons. "Bunlar artık filoyu rahatsız etmeyecek {These won't be bothering the fleet, anymore}."

Sema then pulled out a set of small explosives, and then placed them on each of the cannons. As she struggled to light a fuse, the first cannon operating soldier finally recovered, and grabbed his lance. He prepared to throw it at her, but Habai blasted him with a second wind blast, this time out of the tower's window. Sema gave her right hand a look.

Habai offered, "Rica ederim {You're welcome}."

"Bu gece kimseyi öldürmek istemediğimi söyledim {I said I didn't want to kill anyone else, tonight}," Sema argued.

"Ama mecbur kalırsan yaparsın {But you would if you had to}," Habai countered while Sema finally lit the fuse of one of the explosives. "Şimdi kule gökyüzüne çıkmadan önce buradan çıkalım {Now let's get out of here before the tower goes sky high}." She then whistled, and a few Argelian griffon riders flew up to them.

"Kaptan Aksoy, Başkan Yardımcısı Habai, bir asansöre mi ihtiyaç duyuyor Captain Aksoy, Vice Captain Habai, need a lift}?" one of the riders asked.

"Evet, bir mahkum getiriyoruz {Yes, and we're bringing a prisoner}," Sema answered. The griffon riders allowed the two Argelians and their prisoner on board. The group flew away several minutes before the top of the tower exploded, causing a chain reaction throughout the rest of the tower.

"Nereye bayanlar {So, where to, ladies?}" the lead griffon rider asked. "Tıbbi çadırlar {The medical tents}?"

"Habai için evet. Benim için? Yok hayır {For Habi, yes. For me? No}," Sema said. "Bu gece bakmam gerekmeden önce yapmam gereken bir şey daha var {I have one more thing I need to do, tonight, before I can get looked over}." She pulled out her astral plate, and said, "Habai, Kaptan Sirius Howe'u kontrol et ve hala hayattalarsa filosu getirmek için onu ve Kaptan Yalman'ı al. Nourdari bizim. Ve Sirius'a buluşmamızı hatırlat {Habai, check in on Captain Sirius Howe and have him and Captain Yalman, if they're still alive, bring in the fleet. Nourdari is ours. And remind Sirius of our rendezvous}."

Habai raised her eyebrow, "Sema, yaşadığın Cydris'e teşekkür etmek için bir sürü başka yer var {Sema, there are a bunch of other places to engage in thanking Cydris that you're alive}—"

"Diğer şeyi yapıyoruz Habai {We're doing the other thing, Habai}!" a blushing Sema protested. Habai nodded, taking the astral plate.

"...Şey, Sirius Howe gözlerinde kolay, Kaptan {Well, Sirius Howe is easy on the eyes, Captain}." the lead griffon rider said. "Eğer biri ona hak iddia ederse, o sensin {If anyone earned a claim on him, it's you}." Sema groaned.

"I know it's none of my business, but what are you all talking about?" the confused pegasus knight prisoner questioned. Habai didn't answer the question, and summoned Torio, who was holding his side and his hair frazzled, but he was still kicking.

"Torio, kyaputenhau wa mada ikite iru {Torio, is Captain Howe still alive}?" Habai questioned. Torio shrugged.

" _Kare o nozoite watashitachiha subete_ Sabine _ni notte imasu {We're all back aboard the_ Sabine _except for him}..."_ He was then answered when Raita's body flopped in front of him, and Howe climbed in, soaked, battered, and bloodied, but alive, holding his dislocated shoulder, and snapping it back into place.

" _I'll be fine,"_ Howe said mid-groan. " _The schooner and Captain Raita are no longer a problem. At least Ugur was good at chasing the fleet away to let it be clearer."_

"Oh thank the gods!" Sema breathed. "Sirius, good news. The fleet can move in safely, now."

" _You heard the woman, Yalman,"_ Howe said. " _The girls took out the tower, send the fleet in."_

" _Thank Cydris,"_ Yalman and Adem said, the latter healing people.

"Howe, remember Sema's suggestion," Habai interjected. "If you can, please meet her at the coordinates sent."

" _Will do,"_ Howe said. " _You take care and not get too distracted. Howe out."_ The astral plate cut off, and Sema smiled to herself.

* * *

 **Port Town of Nourdari, Town Square—Two Hours Later**

Nourdari was very quickly conquered after the fleet landed. With the soldiers of the town either dead, captured, or drugged, the townsfolk, not wanting another sacking, quickly surrendered, expecting mercy this time around. And luckily for them, Sema was in charge this time.

Speaking of the blonde captain, Howe and his crew found her tiredly pacing in front of a massive statue. It was that of a woman with a soft face, her blue eyes shining, her blonde hair in a simple braid hanging over her shoulder, holding a massive elegant staff, and wearing a white and blue sari.

Howe had seen it before he became a privateer, but now, it just seemed to be shooting him a look of great disappointment. It made sense, since she now had the Argelian banner draped down on her.

"Oh, Sirius," Sema greeted, snapping Howe out of his self-loathing. "I thought you'd be… alone…."

"I figured just in case you were hurt," Howe explained, "that you'd want a healer since you wanted this as soon as I got here."

"Yeah, what was that about?" Anna asked while Adem healed Sema. "You should be resting after winning Argelia one of the most dangerous naval battles in history since Novan Howe…." She then looked at Kairi, who gripped her sword. "Nevermind." Kairi let go of her grip.

"Force of habit," Kairi apologized.

"Thank you, Pastor," Sema nodded. She then said, "You've all earned a great amount of praise for your hard work and sacrifice. I couldn't have won this without you all… which is why when I report tonight to the Emperor Consort, I will make sure to mention the crew of the _Sabine_ as the heroes of the day. You've all earned some serious time off, and for those of you only in this for profit, quite the pay." Anna cheered, and Keyon smirked. "Alright, dismissed. Head to the medical tents set up south of town. Except for you, Sirius, I would like to talk to you alone." Piper and Anna both frowned, but Howe gave them a look.

"It's just business," he assured his crew. "Go on… get out of here. That's an order." The crew looked at him a final time, but walked away. Howe then turned to Sema, who looked back at the statue. "So… you're awfully determined to get me alone."

"This isn't an attempt to get you to fall for me, I assure you," Sema said. "Although it is a nice location for a first date, I didn't ask you here out of pleasure." She then approached the statue, and asked, "Tell me, Sirius: how much do you really know about the Queens of Orobia?"

Howe blinked at the question. "...Well, thanks to me, not a single one of them is alive…."

"True and false, from depending on whom you ask," Sema replied. "No, I was looking for something more… concrete. Irrefutable by anyone, even those who'd say you're nothing more than a murderer, a coward, a traitor, and a thief."

"...Well, that's a bit harder," Howe said. He thought about it, and said, "They were the ones who could be considered the morality chains of the kings."

"Very true," Sema admitted. "Their deaths caused this war. But I wanted to know if you knew who they were in life." She then pulled out a faded picture. In the picture was not only the statue of the woman in person, but four other women, all smiling. Howe knew at least two more of these women, but the other was a manakete, and one was a mage. They were all rather younger than when he saw reports of their deaths. "This was an old picture that was on the _Aquarius_ after it returned to Hotahah Harbor in Argelia. Apparently, it belonged to Queen Minoo of Cruibia. But in it, it had Sultana Farah of Poswa, and our audience…."

"Queen Kalia of Ustros," he realized, looking at the statue. "So… three of the Orobian Queens… knew each other as youths!?"

"Yes, I was just as surprised as you when I found this out," Sema answered. "Now, while Queen Kalia wasn't there the night of the ill-fated peace talk that became the Widowing Massacre due to illness, she WAS once a major player in Orobia. Nearly thirty years ago, she, Queen Minoo, and Sultana Farah were part of the war hero group of mercenaries known as, if my Orobian is correct, 'The Golden Valkyries'."

"I've heard of them," Howe remarked. "A group of mercenaries founded by five women who fought in Aseel's War. They uncovered the treachery of and defeated Prince Aseel of Poswa, who masterminded the war by killing the wife of his older twin brother Sultan Wisaam, getting him to kill King Darius of Cruibia's parents, and then repeatedly tried to kill his nephew to take over the nation of Poswa and destroy Cruibia."

"You know your war history," Sema giggled, "but not the people involved?"

"I didn't think that the Orobian queens were the same women," Howe defended himself. "Do you have any idea how common Orobian names are? And what's the likelihood the kings of Orobia would have married war heroines?"

"True," Sema said. "But I heard stories that Minoo's skill with a sword was what caused Darius to fall for her in the first place, while Mecca fought alongside Farah and Kalia once treated King Usman of mortal wounds… the battlefield is an interesting place to find love."

"Not the worst place, though," Howe agreed. "So, I take it we're not here to talk about love, though… since you said this was business."

"Sadly, love is still why I asked you here," Sema said, walking towards the statue and climbing on it. She then smirked. "While also war heroines and best friends, Minoo, Farah, and Kalia were also discoverers of a much greater prize, one that's not often talked about…." She then asked, "Sirius Howe, have you ever of the Alevlerin Lambası {Lamp of Flames}?"

"The… Alevlerin Lambasi?" Howe asked.

"Sorry, that's a bit of complex Argelian," Sema apologized. "It translates to 'Lamp of Flames', or 'the Fire Emblem'."

"THAT I've heard of," Howe said. "Legends say that that one of the local dragon gods, Gargec, and a djinn goddess, Awdue, committed the ultimate sin of their two races at the time nearly five-thousand years ago, fell in love, and had a daughter, Rerci, a hybrid of both races with all of the power it implies. Rerci was, according to some historians on Giuss, prophesied to one day destroy the world by human mystics. Fearing this, the two new parents decided to forge Their daughter a gift: a lamp to serve as a conduit of Her tremendous power, hoping to avoid this dark prophecy. But humanity, alongside manaketes and genies, found out about Her status, a war between dragons and genies was waged, and Rerci, blamed by humanity for the carnage, was captured and sealed away, and the Fire Emblem destroyed."

"One does not simply destroy a great source of magical power like that," Sema said. "The Fire Emblem was too powerful to just destroy. It was merely… fragmented. The fragments have exchanged hands for millennia, now. One of them eventually ended up in Argelia… and Princess Kadri is its current guardian."

"Princess… Kadri?" Howe asked. "You mean not Empress Chitra? Wait, better question, why are we talking about this?"

"Good question," Sema said. "You see, Empress Chitra has entrusted the power of the Fire Emblem fragment with her daughter as her heir. But for why we're talking about it… well, pray tell, Sirius, how do you think mere, lower-class mercenaries became the lovers and queens of elite noble Orobian kings?"

"...Are you kidding me?" Howe asked. "You mean love wasn't involved?"

"Oh, love was very much involved, there's no doubt in my mind," Sema said. "But public opinion of the nobility in Orobia would never let women like the street rat thief turned sellsword Minoo, the half-genie spellcaster Farah, and the ill girl healer Kalia become the Flash Frost Blade Queen Minoo, the Burning Heart Sultana Farah, and the Beloved Mender Queen Kalia… no, something else would have allowed the Orobian kings to force the issue in their beloved's favor. They too were guardians of Fire Emblem fragments."

"...So, that means the Argelian Empress most likely killed Minoo and Farah for their fragments," Howe concluded. "Since the legends say that the Fire Emblem is one of the few things capable of freeing Rerci, who is said to grant Her saviors a wish, it would be too tempting for just ANYONE to give it up willingly."

"...I can't say that it is not a valid reason someone would want the Orobian queens dead," Sema frowned. "However, Sirius, I'm not mentioning all of this for no reason. I have a good feeling about you. The Emperor Consort wanted me to recruit Zrisse because his status as an elite Thieves Guild member would probably have made him a skilled rogue who could gather the fragments. However, with him dead, the job falls to me… and you, if you're interested."

"What!?" Howe asked. "You want me to help you gather the remaining pieces of the Fire Emblem? Not just become an Admiral?"

"Yes," Sema answered. "The Admiralty position WOULD allow me to easier spread troops out to comb the continent… but it would also free me up and allow me to better pick our battles so we can focus on this true mission: reforging the Fire Emblem. Doing so would allow Princess Kadri to fulfill her destiny as the future ruler of Argelia and free Rerci."

"Her free Rerci?" Howe asked. "Not you, the Emperor Consort, or the Empress?" Sema gently smiled.

"I'm far from worthy in terms of awakening Rerci at the Eternal Forge," she said. "And the Emperor Consort doesn't like the idea of himself doing it, since he's merely a soldier, not Argelia's future. As for the Empress… she would rather see her child do it." She then pressed something on the staff she was messing with. "Here!" Suddenly, Kalia's staff lowered, impaling the bottom of it into a slot. This caused the ground near the statue to shake, and a set of stairs emerged near it. "Just as the Princess saw in her fragment… a clue."

"The Princess saw this in her fragment?" Howe repeated.

"Lady Kadri may seem meek, but the Fire Emblem fragments grant their guardians great power," Sema answered. "Lady Kadri's has the power to temporarily borrow the powers of the others for minutes. She claimed, a couple months prior to our meeting, Sirius, that I would find a hidden mechanism with Queen Kalia in Nourdari, revealing the way to a final secret of the Golden Valkyries. Of course, her vision ended soon afterwards, so she didn't know what I'd find or who I'd find it with… I sort of assumed it would be with Zrisse, who I wouldn't have to quiz about this."

"Sounds like I should one day meet this miracle princess in person," Howe said. "Well, ladies first."

"Thank you," Sema nodded. The two descended down the stairwell, but they didn't have to go very far. For in a simple, well-lit shrine, the two discovered a ripped piece of paper.

"All of this for a piece of paper!?" Howe asked. "How many people died for this on both sides of this conflict!? We risked our lives and shed blood for a scrap of paper!?"

"Hold on," Sema said, walking towards it. She grabbed the paper, and gasped. "This isn't just a piece of paper, Sirius… look here." She held it up to a frustrated Howe, who squinted and calmed down. "Do you see? These are parts of—"

"Coordinates," Howe breathed. Holding it up to the light, he smirked. "Yes… these are definitely coordinates! Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Sema?"

"That we figured out part of where Rerci could be hidden away from the world?" Sema grinned. "Yes, a lead! The Golden Valkyries must have, before disbanding, must have found coordinates for Rerci's prison: the Eternal Forge! Of course, even if we had the complete set, said coordinates are useless without the rest of the Fire Emblem, which is why they never tried, even after becoming queens, to free Rerci themselves! Considering the fact that Argelia had one, and the other two nations they didn't end up in already had fragments, and there are rumors that Xuhua has a fragment, they would never have been able to complete the Fire Emblem without the cooperation of the other nations! And not just anyone WOULD cooperate! Lady Kadri could convince the Xuhuans to share theirs because of her friendship with Princess Fumiko, but after that, the rest would have to be acquired by force or through strong politicking."

"Which means anyone planning to free Rerci, whether they believe she's benevolent or malevolent, would need both the Fire Emblem and the Eternal Forge coordinates to do so," Howe concluded. "Now, assuming we're running on the logic that this is just a corner of the coordinates we need for Princess Kadri that Queen Kalia of Ustros had, then that means the other four founders of the Golden Valkyries—Queen Minoo of Cruibia, Sultana Farah of Poswa, Matriarch Adre of the southwest Manaketes, and Lady Etti, Duchess of Cubes—each have or had a piece. And I doubt that once the form two's grieving husbands and the latter two themselves figure out who I am, there's nowhere NEAR enough asking nicely to hand over the coordinates."

"Because you believe you left the Orobian Queens, who happen to be the former two's wives and the latter two's best friends, to die," Sema said. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, Sirius, I should report to Lady Kadri." She then led Howe out of the underground shrine… only to see Ugur and Yalman arguing, with several tied up Ustrosi civilians and soldiers. "Bu nedir {What is this}!?"

Ugur groaned, "Ölemediğin bir utanç, Aksoy {A damn shame you couldn't have died, Aksoy}." He then looked at Howe, and said, "Hey, Howe, tell Aksoy that I'm only doing what is necessary, this time around."

"What?" Sema asked.

"We need to strike a serious blow to the Ustrosi' morale," Ugur argued. "Nothing like a good old mass execution to keep these scum in line. Remind them who's in charge, show them that we can simply destroy them all… and it will vastly weaken their armed forces!"

"That part, I'll agree with," Yalman said. "If only to not get them to try to rebel. But we don't have to execute both civilians and soldiers alike just to sate your bloodlust! And if they know that NOBODY is safe from us, they'll be more likely to try to fight us even IF they have less people since they'll see that extinction will be their only alternative!" He looked at the statue. "Hey, Aksoy, Howe… are you done with the statue of the queen?"

"Huh?" Howe asked, looking back at Kalia's statue.

"I'm just saying that we could destroy this symbol of hope," Yalman reasoned. "The Orobian Queens are the reason Orobia is fighting us. We tear these down, that will do a lot of emotional damage, and minimize Ustros' use of Princess Najiyya and Queen Kalia as symbols to rally behind."

"Both of your arguments are rather cruel," Sema began.

"Cruel, yes, but we have to be pragmatic, Captain Aksoy," Yalman argued. "If we leave Nourdari without doing ANYTHING to clip the winds from their sails, how long do you honestly expect to hold this city?" Sema raised a hand to protest, but Howe's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to him, and noticed the serious look on his face.

"Sirius, not you, too," she begged.

"I hate to be the one who actually agrees with UGUR of all people, after his recklessness and bloodthirstiness made this battle all the more complicated than it needed to," Howe said, "but both he and Yalman have a point. We need to send a message, Captain, in order to hold Nourdari for the fleet. Are you a ruthless butcher for who defiance is grounds for death? Or are you willing to break the resistance by tearing down old symbols?" Sema was silent. "If it helps protect your conscience, I'll make the real call, let you take credit for the victory, but I'll take blame for the consequences."

"Wait, you?" Ugur asked. "You're a privateer, not even really a part of the Argelian navy!"

"I'm sorry," Yalman said, "who does the fleet owe their lives to? Who ultimately won this battle? These two, not you! They won in spite of you directly and indirectly sabotaging our plans! You don't get a say!" He then looked at Howe, and asked, "So… your call, Captain Howe: do we let Ugur do what he wants and execute the defeated people of Nourdari to send a message of fear? Or do we tear down the statue and stop the rallying before it begins?"

Howe thought about it. He looked at the scared citizens, and then at the statue. He brandished his axe… and then threw it at Kalia's statue, decapitating it.

"Tear the statue down," Howe ordered. "Executing the people of Nourdari will only create martyrs. The Orobian queens are already martyrs, but destroying Kalia's shrine will make damn sure people think twice about using yesterday's heroes as today's rallying points. Let the past die… and try to move on under the mercy of the Empire." Howe then walked towards the statue, and frowned. "Damn, I liked that hand axe."

"Well, that was disappointing, Howe," Ugur said. "Here I was thinking you and I could get along."

"Looks like we're both disappointed," Howe said. "Send this Lady Advin my regards, Ugur. We're done." Ugur left in a huff, while Sema and Yalman both stared at the pirate in confusion. Howe then walked over to the restrained townsfolk. "Don't forget what happened here."

"Oh, I won't," one of the soldiers said. "But not everyone's gonna be as grateful as I am to you."

"You did the right thing, Howe," Yalman said. "When the day comes when Ustros and the rest of Orobia bends the knee to the Empire, people will remember that we could have been worse. I'll deal with the hothead, make sure he doesn't kill anyone out of spite." He then pursued Ugur. Sema and Howe looked at each other.

"...Do we have to destroy this beautiful landmark to send Ustros a message?" Sema questioned. "I'm kind of disgusted, especially when it was in this landmark we found a clue."

"True, it's awful," Howe assured her. "But the sad reality is that Yalman and Ugur are right that you have to find a way to keep people in line, and pure mercy, as ideal as it is, isn't going to always WORK in warfare… sometimes, people will spit on it. As much as we don't want to create martyrs, we still need to show that there will be changes in the world, whether they like it or not. That means tearing down old symbols. Who knows? Empress Chitra or even Princess Kadri, or even YOURSELF could have a statue here."

"...You sound like my father," Sema shyly smiled. "Alright, Sirius, enough standing here. Let's go to the medical tents, I'll file my report, and then, after we take some well-deserved leave… we make our make move."

"What IS our next move?" Howe asked. "An assault on Tel Kibja?" Sema laughed.

"We're navy, not army," Sema said. "Our job is holding this port for the army and the diplomats to land. But however, our next move, hopefully, will be going after the Fire Emblem Fragments most likely in Upril and Rusnad. Sirius… can I count on you to help me with this?"

"My crew is going to flip when they find out what we're doing," Howe said. "If I'm not mutinied right away, know that you'll have my support."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Yeah, that was an ordeal, and I apologize once more for making you go through that. So, I'll save the reviews for next chapter, but I will quickly sum up some things.

First, special thanks to What's Up People99 at Gmail (will be changed later) for Scheherazade, Nika's genie sidekick, and Stitcher for Malsum, the Earth Manakete who is on the same level as the god characters of Gargec and Cydris. I hope I got them right.

Next, we have Yildiz and Vladimir. Yildiz is your standard knight, being THE physical wall and tank capable of wielding a lance with great ability. Knights can promote to Great Knights to get a mount and the ability to use not just axes but swords, or a general and be able to tank far more plus axes. This is pretty much standard knight stuff, by now.

But Vladimir is a brand new class: the Bat. Bats, as you see, are presented as vampires but without the weakness of can't go out in sunlight and don't need to drain blood, but they turn into GIANT HONKING BATS with their Beaststones (being the first Beaststone-using Flying class in the brief history of Beaststone-users that have come since _Awakening)._ They also have the rare ability to, when selected, see where enemies are in a "fog-of-war" situation thanks to a skill called "Echolocation", which allows the player to use them as scouts in those type of maps without getting too ambushed. That said, Bats are glass cannons that are weak against Arrows and Wind-magic as well as Beast-slaying weapons/skills, to trade off from their incredible strength and likelihood of getting criticals/triggering skills since they can just straight-up one or two-shot everything if left to their own devices. And yes, this class was made because I liked the idea of the "fake leaked" _Fire Emblem_ game that had the Avatar of that game be a vampire. But Vladmir's promotions are the Dracul (you know, full-fledged vampire) with higher resistance to magic and having daggers, or a Succubus (being suave and attractive), being faster and wielding Dark Magic.

Up to you how you want to build him.

Now, you met Nika. He's not exactly a FULL Rudolf archetype, due to the fact that he behaves like he's the number two in terms of being on the opposing side. He genuinely loves his family (he let his daughter and her friends get away with decorating his shield, there's no evil force that makes him any less warm to his wife and daughter), he considers his job a necessary evil he'd rather not burden either Chitra or Kadri with, rather than seeking glory and conquest for the sake of ruling the world, and he's prepared to kill Howe if Howe lets anything happen that could hurt his daughter such as letting Sema die (yeah, more Papa Wolf than most Rudolfs (Garon post-Concubine War in Nohr, and the less I talk about Surtr from _Heroes,_ the better)). However, he STILL does have Rudolf traits (he's a tall man who is incredibly ruthless DURING the battle, allows dangerous people to work for him in a sense, can intimidate people who cross his path, including Howe, and wields a unique weapon). Still, Nika is a man who rose to power by his own strength and was genuinely surprised that Chitra chose HIM of all people to be her husband. Howe can respect that since he himself has no noble blood, Novan was just a privateer himself before he defeated Nobunaga, and Howe in the grand scheme of things is the right man in the wrong place.

Howe's still the deconstruction of the martial lord, since Howe is getting dragged into the war over the Fire Emblem and with it the chance to free Rerci, and he's in over his head since he's pretty much a hired gun.

We also meet other major players in Argelia, many of whom I'll tell you about later, but four stand out, now. One is none other than the tutorial character, Kiral. He's back, but he's been greatly wounded since the Widowing Massacre, and he's forced by Nika to stay close. The second, you all recall from Janiya's campaign, is none other than Casval. Yeah, LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green's character, like World's End34's Sheba, shows up in multiple campaigns! I can't believe I didn't address that in Tawni's chapter, but there's a chance your characters can be seen by others. Sadly, Howe doesn't fight him (since if Howe ever defeated Casval Cecani during his campaign, that would cause a time paradox... nobody wants that), but there's a chance Howe will fight alongside him one day... but no, he won't be recruited.

Third is Princess Kadri. Yes, she's kind of like Sakura from _Fates_ in terms of personality (she's a socially awkward young princess), so you wouldn't actually see the Ishtar archetype, but she has some secrets to her. But fourth is Duchess Avdin, who has plans of her own and seems to want in on the "using Howe to further her agenda" wagon.

Now, Nourdari is, without question, one of the hardest early-game missions to do. You have to keep track of your crew's health, the _Sabine's_ health, your allies' health, and you, every few turns, get hit by a ship tower out of your range. Oh, and you have a boss. It's definitely that one level, only made slightly less frustrating by the fact that merchant Ships sell healing items nearby, and you can recruit rescued Argelians as allies for when you're doing hand-to-hand combat. Add in the sadistic choice that can decide how often Ustrosi enemies will come after you (and with what amount of strength) depending on whether you agree with Ugur or agree with Yalman what you should do, and it's one of the major choices.

Alright, I'm done. Again, I'll answer reviews in the next update. Farewell, my subjects!


	21. Howe and Company Supports, Round 1

A/N: So, has anybody else besides me noticed that in almost every _Fire Emblem_ game that Anna's been in starting with _Awakening_ _,_ her companion/love interest/boyfriend Jake hasn't been mentioned or heard from? Seriously, Jake hasn't been seen in a while. I know it allows the player's Avatar to be with Anna safely, but it's still something that I feel is noticeable by players of the older _Fire Emblem_ games.

Why am I mentioning this when you know this is a support chapter? Well, I wanted to also address that with a couple of Anna's supports, especially with Howe.

* * *

 **Howe and Company Supports, Round 1**

* * *

Howe placed the last crate down for the redheaded merchant. "That's everything."

"Thanks, Captain," Anna smiled. "I can handle getting the rest of my stand set up."

"You have a lot of goods, here, Anna," Howe observed. "Where do you keep getting all of these?"

"Oh, being a secret-seller has its advantages," Anna explained. "That and my huge family. Anna had some great deals the last time I talked to her. Oh, and Anna fixed my bow, so it will be a lot better the next time we get into a battle thanks to you."

"Right," Howe said. "...Hey, Anna, are you going to tell me about the other Annas?"

"Are you going to tell me why you passed me over as your Vice Captain?" Anna questioned back.

"What?" Howe asked.

"I'm sorry, but I'm curious," Anna said. "You see that I have a great deal of supplies, weapons, armors, potions, all of those things that neither of your other two picks could provide you as quickly or with such good quality. I've listened to your problems. I even let you sleep with one of my sisters with no complaints when you needed a nightcap. I'd be a DAMN good number two. So why didn't you?"

"Oh, that," Howe said. "To put it frankly, Anna, while you are very qualified, I just don't really know you as well as I should, especially considering the fact that you DID do the whole twin switch with said sister. I honestly thought you and I had a thing, but it was someone else. Add in the fact that you also prioritize money, and well, I don't know what the minimum amount of zeros you'd require to betray me. I needed someone who runs a tighter, more loyal ship."

"...Fair enough," Anna frowned. "But Captain, if you want my loyalty in writing, I'll gladly give it to you."

"For how much is this written promise?" Howe joked. Both he and Anna laughed at that remark.

"Okay, okay," Anna said. "Well, I guess a deal's a deal. You gave a fair reason, so I'll tell you about my family." She inhaled, and then explained, "Well, as you know, my sisters and I are remarkably similar-looking girls who are all merchants. And also, we're all Outrealmers."

"Explains the lackluster Giussean accent and the small, exotic wares you had when you first joined Dilazak's crew."

"We spread throughout the Outrealms, determined to get a profit," Anna explained. "But some Annas have gone native like my oldest sister who is in Orobia leading her own clan of Romani. And then there's Anna from the Order of Heroes in Askr, being their Commander. I think there were Annas in Ylisse, Aytolis, and the kingdoms of Hoshido, Nohr, and Valla taking an active role in the war like I am. I'm pretty sure, with the exception of Valentia, there's been an Anna everywhere throughout time and space."

"Those are places I've hardly heard of," Howe said. "Perhaps one day, I'll sail their seas."

"Yeah, don't tell my sisters I told you this," Anna said. "We Annas have a code about stepping on each other's toes when it comes to profits. Do NOT do business in another Anna's territory… at least, not without her permission. I had to clear it with Anna in Orobia that I could occasionally sell my wares, here. And she tends to stick to Rusnad and Upril, so I usually have Ustros and Cruibia."

"That makes sense," Howe said. "What about Annas in other parts of this world, like Xuhua and Argelia?"

"There are Annas there, too," Anna shrugged. "But they tend to go to other worlds, as well."

"Okay," Howe said. "And your sister that comforted me during that one-night stand…?"

"She's currently in another Outworld," Anna answered. "Alright, I believe we've done enough of an exchange. Now, I'll see you at the end of the day, Captain. Mama's got some customers to attend to."

"Right, right," Howe said. He then walked past Anna, accidentally knocking something out of her pocket. "Huh?" He bent down, and spotted a ring. "Hey, Anna…."

"Huh?" Anna questioned. She then gasped. "Jake!"

"Jake?" Howe asked. The ring was quickly swiped out of his hands by her.

"Oh, thank the gods!" Anna sighed. "I was so afraid this would be lost…."

"Anna… who is Jake?" Howe questioned. Anna looked back at him, surprisingly serious.

"Sorry, Captain, but that's a door that's closed up for right now." She then turned away, and said, "Now please… I think you ought to clear out. You may scare the customers, and Mama needs to get her game face on."

"Alright, fine," Howe said. "But you know where to find me if you want to talk, Anna." Howe then left her be, while Anna clutched the ring. A tear slipped down her face.

"...Jake, I still love you…."

 _ **Howe and Anna have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The two Xuhuans looked out at the sea from the deck of the Sabine. Kairi turned to Torio, and said, "Anata wa watashitachi ga kisaki-ko-hi-ko to issho ni ita hazudatta to omoimasu ka {Do you think we should have stayed with Princess Fumiko}?"

Torio, not looking at Kairi, answered, "Watashitachiha kyaputenhau-san ni fusō-hi ko Kumiko no tasuke o karite hensai suru koto ni shimashita. Tashika ni, Argelia no tame ni hataraku koto wa kitai sa rete imasendeshitaga, soreha riten ga arimasu {We decided to repay Captain Howe for his help saving Princess Fumiko, Kairi. Sure, working for Argelia wasn't expected, but it does have its advantages}."

"Shiriasuhau ga watashitachi o heikin shite 1-nichi 2-kai ijō no shi no kiken ni sara shite iru to iu jijitsu no ta ni, anata wa imi shimasu ka {You mean besides the fact that Sirius Howe has put us in mortal danger no less than twice a day on average}?"

"Captain Hau no sābisu de Xuhua o daihyō suru watashitachi to issho ni, Xuhua to Argelia ga sensōniiku kanōsei wa hikuku narimasu {With us representing Xuhua in Captain Howe's service, the likelihood that Xuhua and Argelia will go to war decreases}," Tori explained. "Watashitachiha, kono yō ni furusato o yori yoku hogo suru koto ga dekimasu {We're better able to protect our homeland this way}."

" San Dragon enperā to watashi no senzo-tachi o fumeiyo ni shi, koroshita otoko no mago no tame ni hataraku koto ni yotte {By working for the grandson of the man who dishonored and killed the Sun Dragon Emperor and my ancestors}," Kairi finished.

"Sore wa hijō ni shinjitsudesu, Kairi {That is very true, Kairi}," Torio admitted with a frown. He placed a hand on the myrmidon's shoulder. "Watashi wa anata ga novu~anhau no shita koto ni taisuru fukushū o nozonde iru koto o rikai shite ori, Shiriusu wa sore no tame no saizen no sakudesu. Shikashi, kore made ijō ni nintai-ryoku o hyōgen shinakereba narimasen {I understand that you want revenge for what Novan Howe did, and Sirius is the best bet for it. But you must express patience now, more than ever}."

"Anata wa dokusho o shimashita ka {You did a reading, didn't you}?" Kairi realized.

"Hai, watashi wa shimashita {Yes, I did}," Torio admitted. "Soshite, koreha, āseria no sensō doryoku kara no kainin ga anata no shi ni kaeru made, Hau no kazoku ni anata no kazoku no fukushū o seiritsu sa seru no o matte inai genjitsu no ikanaru bājon demo iimashita. Anata ga kanzen ni shippai shi, kyaputen Hau ga jieitai de korosa reta baai, kyaputen Hau no koto o kinisuru shōsū no hitobito ni yotte hotondo sokuji ni shokei sa remasuga, tsuikyū shita baai, kutsujoku-tekide fumeiyona shi o okashita to iu jijitsu wa kawarimasen kono toki no anata no fukushū {And it said this: any version of reality that you do not wait to enact your family's revenge upon the Howe family until after his dismissal from Argelia's war effort will result in your death. Whether you fail completely and are killed by Captain Howe in self-defense or you are almost immediately executed by the few people who CARE about Captain Howe varies, but it doesn't change the fact that you have a humiliating and dishonorable death if you pursue your revenge at this time}."

"Dakara watashi wa kare o ikasenakereba naranai nodesu ka? Kare no sofu ga shita koto to kare ni mukatte iru fumeiyo no nochi de {So I have to let him live? After what his grandfather did and the dishonor going to him}?" Kairi complained.

"Chōdo ima wa, sukunakutomo {Just for now, at least}," Torio assured her. "Puraiyā wa, Arujeria teikoku ni yotte nomi hogo sa rete imasu. Sore made ni Captain Hau ni taisuru fukushū o nozomunara, Argelians ga mohaya kare to kare no sutairu no tatakai o ki ni shinaku natta toki ni jiyū ni toru koto ga dekimasu {Keep in mind, a privateer is only protected by the Argelian Empire for so long. If you still wish for revenge against Captain Howe by then, you'll be free to take it when the Argelians no longer care for using him and his style of warfare}." He then shrugged. "Shikashi, dare ga shitte iru? Osoraku kyaputenhau wa, Arujeria hito ga kare to issho ni yatta toki made ni anata no kawaki o iyashite kurerudeshou {But who knows? Maybe Captain Howe will wear down your thirst for revenge by the time the Argelians are done with him}."

Kairi gasped. "Watashi wa sugu ni kare no tame ni jibun no jinsei o oku junbi ga dekite iru to itte imasu ka? Aruiwa warui, kare no tame ni ochiru {Are you saying that I may soon be prepared to lay down my life for him? Or worse, fall for him}?"

Torio shook his head. "Īe, watashi no yūjin. Shiriasu Hau ga nōban Hau to onaji kurai waruku wanai koto ga sugu wakaru kamo shirenai to itte iru dakedesu {No, my friend. I'm just saying that we may soon come to see that Sirius Howe is not as bad as Novan Howe}." He and Kairi then noticed the rest of the crew coming back aboard. "Watashitachiha kono kaiwa o atode tsudzukenakereba naranai yōdesu {It seems we'll have to continue this conversation later}."

"Watashi wa, watashitachiha, Torio to omou {I guess we will, Torio}," Kairi concluded.

 _ **Kairi and Torio have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen!" Anna called to the crowd at her stand, the apothecary grinning with her family's signature smile. "See the wares of the legendary healer, Anna!"

"Anna," Piper questioned, walking forward, "what are you doing?"

"Hey, no cutting in line!" one of the people of the crowd complained.

"It's okay, she's with me," Anna assured the patron. Turning to Piper, she said, "Well, we may technically work for Howe, these days, but I'd be a TERRIBLE Anna if I didn't practice our family's craft!"

Piper waited for the crowd to disperse, and Anna began counting her money, before approaching her again. "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask, Anna: is it really true that you have MULTIPLE sisters, also named Anna?"

"Yep!" Anna smiled.

"How many of them are there?"

"How many _Fire Emblem_ games are there, including spin-offs?"

"What?"

"Look," Anna said, "if this is about your crush on Howe, don't worry. I told all of you, I'm NOT the one who slept with him. But after my fiancée, died, I HAVE been with a gypsy who has been with Howe, which is kind of how I met Howe, and is more or less friends with benefits."

"This has nothing to do with that!" Piper said, although she was blushing "And wait, you were going to be married!?"

"Yeah," Anna said with a frown, "I probably should not have mentioned that." Very quickly changing the subject, she said, "So, what can I do for you to avoid discussing that topic? Because fair warning: shop will close if you TRY to press that right now, Piper."

"Okay, I get it, you don't wanna talk about our love lives," Piper said. "No need to beat that horse." She then said, "Well I'll put it nice and simple: you're late."

"...What?" Anna questioned.

"You and I were supposed to be doing some combat training about half an hour ago!" Piper explained. "I get that we were merchants, but we're not just merchants, anymore. We're privateers!"

"Oh, right, the war," Anna sighed. "And I did get you to pay for a sparring partner, didn't I? Sorry, Piper, I forgot about that."

"Well, no harm done, I worked on my practice swings the first twenty minutes," Piper said. "Then my stances. Then I gave up waiting for you."

"Okay," Anna said. "Let me tear down, and I'll give you a FREE sparring session next time!"

"Deal," Piper smiled. "Let me help."

 _ **Anna and Piper have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Vladmir looked out at the Orobian deserts in his bat form. He sighed before flying down to the ground, and turning back to his more humanoid form. He then spotted Adem approaching. "İyi günler, papaz. Seninle bir dakika konuşabilir miyim {Good day, Pastor. Can I talk to you for a moment}?"

Adem asked, "Ah, Vladmir. Son savaşımızı tartışmak ister misin? Eminim Cydris günahlarınızı bağışlamaya istekli olmayacaktı {Ah, Vladmir. You wish to discuss our last battle? I'm sure Cydris would be more than willing to forgive your sins}."

"Hayır bu değil. Şu anda üzerinde tartıştığımız şey hakkında konuşmak istiyorum: Orobia {No, not that. I want to talk about what we're currently fighting over: Orobia}," Vladmir explained. "İmparatorluğun böyle parlak, kumlu bir yeri fethetmesi gerekiyor mu? Orobian uluslarında alabileceğimiz herhangi bir şey, neredeyse her yerde olabiliriz. Ve buradaki toprak, halkım için yeterince iyi bir çevreye yakın değil {Does the Empire really need to conquer such a bright, sandy place such as this? Anything we can get in the Orobian nations, we can get almost anywhere else. And the land here is nowhere near good enough of an environment for my people}."

"Evet, Argelia'nın yarasa klanları daha çok ... çevreleriyle seçicidir, değil mi {Oh, right, the bat clans of Argelia are rather... picky with their environments, aren't you}?" Adem smiled.

"Hepimizin nereye gittiğiyle ilgili çok yüksek standartlara sahibiz {We just have high standards about where we roost, is all}," Vladmir insisted. "Ayrıca, daha çok gece, karanlık seven yaratıklar. Bütün bu güneş gözlerimde öldürülüyor {Also, we are more nocturnal, darkness-loving creatures. All of this sun is murder on my eyes}." He then turned to the healer, and questioned, "İyi, peki ya sen? Cydris'in bezi olan bir adam olarak, muhtemelen bu şiddetin sadece kendisiyle değil, bu Rerci, bu Gargec'le ilgili dinsel argümanları ve duyduğum bu Awdue ile ilgili bir probleminiz vardır {Well, how about you? As a man of the cloth of Cydris, you probably have a problem with not only all of this violence, including my own, but religious arguments about this Rerci, this Gargec, and this Awdue I keep hearing about}."

Adem admitted, "Doğru, savaşın getirdiği şiddeti reddediyorum {True, I detest the violence that war brings}." He then said, "Ama şey şu ki, Rerci, Awdue ve Gargec ARE, tüm niyet ve amaçlar için, tanrılar. Bir şekilde Giver tanrıları. Rerci, Orobians tarafından hapsedilmeden önce kısa kariyeri için, insanları seven ve onlara bol bol şey veren bir mucize işçisiydi. Ailesi, Argelia'yı ziyaret eden ve kraliyet ailesini en büyük kılıçlarından birine veren Smith Dragon Gargec ve öldürülmeden önce her yerde bitki yetiştirebilecek güçlü bir genci olan Awdue idi {But the thing is that Rerci, Awdue, and Gargec ARE, for all intents and purposes, gods. Giver gods, in a way. Rerci, for Her short career before she was imprisoned by the Orobians, was a miracle worker who loved humans and gave them plenty of things. Her parents were the Smith Dragon Gargec, who has visited Argelia and even gave the royal family one of His greatest swords, and Awdue, a powerful genie who could grow plants about anywhere before She was slain}."

"O üç hakkında bilmiyordum {I didn't know that about those three}," Vladmir admitted. "Yine de, Orobia'nın her bölümünü Cydris'i takip etmek oldukça zor olacaktır {Still, it will be rather difficult to convert every part of Orobia to following Cydris}."

"Dönüştürmek? Yok hayır {Convert? No}," Adem corrected. "Ben sadece Cydris'in sözünü yaymak istiyorum {I merely wish to spread the word of Cydris.}"

"Ve duyduğum Rerci Tapınağı'ndakilerin, çabalarınıza karşı çok nazik olmayacağından endişe duymuyor musunuz {And you're not worried that those at this Temple of Rerci I hear about won't take too kindly to your efforts}?"

"Bu felsefenin ve tartışmanın güzelliği {That's the beauty of philosophy and debate}," Adem reasoned. "Biraz direniş bekliyorum. Ama bu Orobian tanrılarının tamamen silinmesini isteyenlerin aksine, sadece Orobia halkının Cydris'in bir tanrı olarak kabul edilme hakkına sahip olduğu gerçeğini kabul etmesini istiyorum {I expect some resistance. But unlike some who would want these Orobian gods to be completely erased, I just want the people of Orobia to accept the fact that Cydris has just as much right to be considered a god}."

Vladimir smirked, "İyi şanslar, Pastor {Good luck with that, Pastor}." He then walked away. "Bu güneşten kurtulmak için gemiye döneceğim {I'll head back to the ship to get out of this sun}."

 _ **Adem and Vladimir have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Piper walked in the captain's quarters Howe was repaired a loose board. "Hey, Captain," Piper said. "I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Hey Piper," Howe said, not looking at her. He tested the floor board. After a squeak, he frowned, and said, "Could you hand me those nails?"

"Aye-aye," Piper said. After she did so, she then said, "Um, Captain… can I ask you why you passed me over for the position of Vice Captain?"

"Oh, that," Howe said, looking at her. "Piper, no offense, but you're rather inexperienced compared to my other options when it comes to the sailing. You were the last to join us, and by the way you acted, it was clear you probably would not have come aboard Dilazak's ship to even start with if you didn't have a choice."

"...True," Piper admitted. She then said, "I guess for all my admiring of your gumption, I never really told you WHY I joined up with Captain Dilazak's crew, did I?"

"Nope," Howe said. He then looked at the floorboard, and said, "Well, this can wait for a little bit. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Piper?"

"Okay," Piper nodded. "Well, you probably guessed, considering how skilled I am with a blade, but I grew up in a band of mercenaries on Giuss. Think like the Golden Valkyries of Orobia, but not as legendary. Me and my 'sisters' were all skilled sellswords."

"What about your parents?" Howe questioned.

"Don't know," Piper admitted. "But I bet they were real pieces of work, considering that they abandoned me when I was a baby, according to the orphanage director. He said that two shifty-looking folks, in order to get some extra money, tried to sell me to spice dealers to have me grow up as a drug mule, and the director interrupted the exchange. He then took me in before my 'sisters' did."

"And those sisters taught you to fight," Howe concluded.

"At least until our group got involved in a bad job," Piper said. "I still have no idea who set us up, but I was the only one who didn't bite it or worse. I then, out of desperation, signed up with Captain Dilazak… and met you and the others."

"And the rest is history," Howe said. "So, you think that your parents are still out there?"

"They're not," Piper coldly said. "And if they are, Captain, you'll have to forgive my insistence that they're NOT."

"Whoa, Piper," Howe said, surprised. "I'm sorry about that."

"Oh, Captain, sorry," Piper said. "That wasn't really meant for you…."

"It was meant for your folks," Howe concluded. "Look, as someone who barely know their own parents because they did when I was really young in a boating accident, I don't one-hundred percent relate to the bitter hatred of your parents, especially considering the fact that I named my ship after my mother. However, I can understand that you seem to have some… unfinished business with your parents."

"Unfinished business?" Piper said.

"Piper," Howe bluntly said, "don't pretend that you don't want to go and make sure your parents are indeed dead."

"Wow," Piper said. "And you said I'm rather dark, Captain."

"Piper, I like to think I can read between some lines," Howe replied. "You just moments ago implied that you would make sure the people who willingly gave you up to get money for some illegal operation with no regards for your well-being and most likely went on to do other things are deceased. I think I can help with that."

"How, Captain?" Piper questioned.

"I mean, Piper, since we now have our own ship, I think we can explore around a bit more freely, and hear if anyone has seen people resembling your parents," Howe answered.

"Oh," Piper said. "Well, I think I can get in touch with the orphanage director, see if he knows anything. With your permission, of course."

"Permission granted, Piper," Howe smiled. "Go write a letter, and I'll have it sent via carrier pigeon to Giuss."

"Thanks, Captain!" Piper said. "This will be some serious closure!"

 _ **Howe and Piper have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Adem watched Anna carrying a chest full of coins, and frowned. "Hello, Anna," he said in Orobian. "You seem rather… content with yourself."

"Absolutely," Anna answered with her signature smile. "What can I say? I love making a great profit."

"Just as I thought," Adem said. "The sin of greed has truly engulfed you. Or is it gluttony?"

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked.

"With the exception of but a few," Adem observed, "you have offered your healing services for a rather hefty cost."

"You're still mad that I made you pay for medicine to help you with your seasickness, aren't you?" Anna questioned.

"This has VERY little to do with that."

"How about the time I had you, Captain Howe, and the others pay for my antidotes due to the fugu fish incident?" Anna asked. "I told you all that the fish had to be prepared properly, but you tried to cook it, Adem."

"My inexperience with Xuhuan seafood should not be grounds for you charging us to save our lives," Adem replied.

"Okay, what about the time where I tried to have you pay for my remedy for your blistered hands when you had to heal all of those people?" Anna listed.

"My point is that you rarely ever shy away from trying to turn a profit for what is supposed to be treating the ill or dying," Adem said, "and worse, you have NO shame about it. If you keep walking this path, Anna, when the afterlife judges your soul, it will NOT be a pleasant judging."

"Firstly, Adem," Anna said, "I'm a merchant. And not just ANY merchant. I'm from an entire clan of similar-looking, similar personality merchants. It's in the blood. Of COURSE I'm going to charge for my potions! Second, the art of being an apothecary isn't cheap. The bottles, the herbs, the mortars and pestles, and all of the other ingredients I use in my craft cost MORE than I actually charge for the completed project. I'm CHEAP by my family's standards! And third, and the biggest one, of course I don't have any shame about it. It's not like I just horde the money away. I actually use it for the crew, since Howe is often getting us into dangerous situations! As idealistic as your preaching is to give people my stuff for free out of the kindness of my heart, we kind of need the money. My turning a profit has probably saved more lives than your selfless freebie heals!" Anna then walked past him.

"This conversation isn't over, Anna!" Adem called after her.

"That is apoint we'll have to disagree on!" Anna called back. "I have to go stash this money!" Adem sighed, but let her leave.

"Onun açgözlülüğü, onu başka bir şekilde ikna etmesin diye, onu çözecek {Her greed will be her undoing, lest someone convince her otherwise}," he said.

 _ **Adem and Anna have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The young female Giussean mercenary watched as the female Xuhuan myrmidon practice with her sword. It was a swift, beautiful display, all of her moves precise with their swings. Eventually, Kairi stopped, and said in Orobian, "What?"

"Oh, sorry, Kairi," Piper said. "I didn't want to interrupt your swordsmanship. It's beautiful… almost like a dance." Kairi blushed.

"Thank you… I wasn't expecting that," Kairi confessed. "I guess all of that geisha training Mother had me involved in wasn't wasted, after all."

"Geisha?" Piper repeated.

"Xuhuan term for 'a female entertainer who practices traditional Hoshidan or Chon'sinan art, dance, or song'," Kairi explained. "My mother was a geisha before she married and had me and my sisters. As the oldest of the girls, she expected me to take up the art in her footsteps. I did, for a time… but I always found myself drawn to the art of being a samurai."

"Which is what you are, but most Orobians, Argelians, and some Giusseans refer to you as a myrmidon in plainspeak," Piper concluded.

"...That about sums it up, yes," Kairi said.

"Guess we both kind of disappointed our parents," Piper said. "Mine kind of wanted me dead or made a slave."

"Wow, that's kind of dark," Kairi pointed out. She then said, "But in a way, I didn't truly disappoint my mother. I still do some dancing, just with different robes and a different tool than a bladed fan."

"Wait, your mom had you dancing with… bladed fans?" Piper asked.

"Well, yes, to defend myself with," Kairi said. "And also for short-range kills. You mean those female Romani I've heard about being spread out through Orobia, Argelia, and Giuss don't occasionally become assassins atop of performers?" Piper raised a finger to argue, but stopped herself.

"...Okay, some do," the mercenary said. "Anyway, Kairi, if you don't mind… could you teach me how to dance like you?"

"That I can," Kairi smiled. "But after next battle when we make port. I'll have to get the proper equipment for it."

"Proper… equipment?" Piper said.

"Yes," Kairi said. "Now, first thing: what are your measurements?"

"Isn't that a bit personal?" Piper asked, her face deciding it was her turn to be red.

"Well, if we're going to teach you proper Xuhuan dance," Kairi reasoned, "I need to know what size kimono to get you."

"Oh," Piper realized. "Wait, kimono?"

"A Xuhuan type of formal robe," Kairi explained. "Normally, you don't HAVE to wear one in Xuhua, and for the summer months, the yukata is better suited. However, geisha customs demand the wearing of a kimono."

"This sounds like it's going to be a lot confusing," Piper said.

"Oh, I've seen you fight, you'll be a natural," Kairi said. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like those measurements before the captain drags us to the next war council meeting."

"...89 centimeters bust, 71 centimeters waist, 102 centimeters hips."

"I thought those hips were rather wide," Kairi said. Piper's blush only grew brighter.

 _ **Kairi and Piper have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Howe and Adem looked over the astral plate, which had a news feed. "I can't believe that I'm just NOW aware you can get the latest bits of news on this thing," Howe said, looking at the plate. "On Giuss, we just had the town criers tell us everything that was happening. Of course, there are still town criers."

"Well, magic is a serious study in Argelia, given the vast number of djinn, healers, and magi in the Empire," Adem said. "But Orobians, I've heard, occasionally use this as well."

"Well, that's kind of interesting," Howe said. "So, Adem… you're one of the few Argelians I know, and you've forgiven my lackluster Argelian. Can you tell me some things about the Empire?"

"I suppose I can," Adem said. "Well, as you know, prior to what you'd consider Orobia's 'Silver Age', the Empire was founded when Argelia, a small country on the continent of Idrea, had defended itself from, defeated, and then conquered the djinn nation of Escen. I was actually born and raised in what used to be Escen. Cyrdis Himself took part in the final battle."

"Cydris being…?" Howe questioned.

"The Argelian dragon god of winds," Adem reminded him. "He's on the same level of power as not only Malsum, the Earth Dragon of Argelia, but Gargec of Orobia, the Smith Dragon father of Rerci, the Djinn Dragon."

"Right, Rerci, the hybrid that Orobians worship," Howe recalled. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome," Adem said. "Cydris and Malsum both don't go to the front lines as often, these days, but they will help Argelia in its time of need. Cydris is also a bit of a poet, and very social. And then there's Musa… a genie of festivities, and a god or goddess."

"God OR goddess?" Howe questioned.

"Not too many people know Musa's true identity," Adem admitted. "They just know he or she will never say 'no' to a celebration. He or she is also a bit of a prankster."

"Sounds like Anna would make a killing with them around," Howe chuckled. Before the two could continue talking about it, the astral plate started to shake, causing the news feed to disappear. "...Do they normally do that?"

"It must be someone with my magical frequency," Adem assured him, walking over to check it. He channeled his magic, and the image turned to a feminine-looking genie wearing white and red robes. "Oh, Baide!"

" _Hi, Adem,"_ the genie greeted in a high voice. _"Oh, this must be the Giussen I heard you joined. I'm Father Baide, Adem's fellow pastor."_

"Wait, what?" Howe asked.

" _Yes, I'm a male genie,"_ Baide answered. _"My looks and voice often throw people off."_

"No, I'm just confused that Adem here has other pastors traveling to Orobia to talk about religion," Howe said. "But yeah, I'll admit, I was kind of thrown off." Baide giggled.

" _Yeah, I've done to a LOT of people these past hundred years,"_ Baide admitted. _"Even Adem, here."_

"Don't remind me," Adem muttered. "Anyway, Baide, what's wrong?"

" _Oh, I wanted your help with something, but if you're in a meeting with your new Captain, I'll call back, later."_

"No need," Howe said. "Adem, go ahead and talk. I'll excuse myself."

" _Actually, thinking about it,"_ Baide said, _"I think I could ask you to help as well, Captain… Howe? Is that really your name?"_

"Yes," Howe said. "I'm the late Novan Howe's grandson."

" _Then you can help, after all,"_ Baide answered. _"I knew Novan Howe, and I did him a favor, once. Anyway, a few of our young faithfuls have vanished en route to Poswa. I hate to say it, but I fear that they were most likely abducted by Poswali pirates. I'd like help finding them."_

"Alright," Adem said.

"But new question," Howe interjected. "Why talk to us? I'm a privateer, and Adem's a priest. If they were abducted, wouldn't it be a better idea to ask the REAL navy to find them?"

" _About that,"_ Baide said. _"This is personal to Adem, here."_ Turning to Adem, he confessed. _"Adem, your little sister was among them."_

Adem gasped. "Altoa?"

"You have a sister?" Howe asked.

"Half-sister," Adem answered. "Father remarried after my mother died. She idolized me to the point that she followed in my footsteps and joined the faith. Altoa's no older than 12, though… why was she on a ship to Poswa?"

" _She snuck aboard, eager to see the world, and meet quarter-genies,"_ Baide confessed. _"Your sister was curious about others like her."_

"Others like her?" Howe asked.

"My stepmother is a genie," Adem confessed. "Add in my human father, and Altoa is a half-genie. We've heard stories that the princes of Poswa are quarter-genies."

"Oh," Howe said. "Well, enough sitting here. I have a few sea contacts. We'll see if we can find her and the rest of those young souls."

" _Gods bless you, Captain Howe,"_ Baide breathed. _"Adem, I know you're mad that Altoa's put herself in danger, but…."_

"But nothing," Adem said. "As soon as I find her, she's going to be very chewed out for getting involved in this bloody business. And THEN, I'll send her home to Father." Turning back to Baide, he said, "I'm sorry, Father Baide, but I will begin my own search."

" _I understand, and I apologize for letting this happen, Adem,"_ Baide bowed. _"Take care of yourself."_ He then disconnected, leaving Howe and Adem to look at each other.

"Captain, I'm sorry to bother you with all of this," Adem said. "My little sister is a far stronger magi than I will ever be because of her blood, but Altoa is surprisingly mischievious for a kid."

"I'm a little envious," Howe said. "My parents died when I was young, and I was raised by my grandfather. I don't actually have a sibling to talk about… let alone save from her own curiosity. Anyway, I'll contact anyone and everyone who still is willing to talk to me on the seas if they know anything about these pirates."

"Thank you, Captain, you're too kind," Adem said. "I'll do a search of my own in the meantime, and I'll let you know if I find anything."

 _ **Howe and Adem have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Piper walked with Yildiz, both of them holding a crate of supplies. "Thanks again for doing this supply run with me, Yildiz!" Piper smiled. "I needed the company."

"Not a problem," Yildiz replied, adjusting his crate. "I live for this kind of thing."

"You live to carry boxes of supplies we need for the war?" Piper questioned.

"No," Yildiz corrected. "I live to defend and assist. My parents taught me to be chivalrous to ladies as a knight of Argelia."

"Aw," Piper smiled with a blush. "That's kind of sweet. However I'm no lady. I'm just a Giussean mercenary turned pirate turned privateer under Captain Howe."

"Oh, yes, your crew's history," the knight remembered. "I read the report, out of curiosity. But I have a question. What exactly made you follow Captain Howe in his decision to mutiny against your old captain?"

"It was an easy decision," Piper confessed. "Captain Dilazak was a coward and a fool. He honestly thought there was a version of not fighting back against a ship firing cannons at us despite the fact that we had no cannons to defend ourselves with was a GOOD idea. If they were willing to kill us BEFORE they boarded the ship to raid it, then what were our odds of survival once they had what they wanted?"

"That's a good point," Yildiz reasoned. "But I sense there was another reason…."

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked, although her cheeks were pink.

"Forgive me for being so bold, but I think that while you're right to rebel against incompetent leadership, but part of you has a savior complex."

"Savior complex?" Piper questioned, her cheeks now losing the color.

"It's no secret that Captain Howe has a savior complex, as well… he's rather merciful, despite frequently being eager to flex his muscles," Yildiz explained. "He stops to help every problem he sees, even though it drains on him and he's easily used. However, you follow him because you like helping people as well."

"What can I say?" Piper shrugged. "I like the feeling of helping out the helpless. It reminds me of my time at the orphanage."

"And being chivalrous reminds me of how I spent my time as a knight of Aksoy back in Argelia," Yildiz replied.

"Knight of Aksoy, huh?" Piper questioned. "Aksoy is Captain Aksoy's last name, right? She's the gal who's in charge of Captain Howe's missions."

"Yes, she is," Yildiz nodded. "The Aksoy territory was one of the only nations who joined the Empire WILLINGLY. I can tell you more about my home after we're done, here."

"That I'd like," Piper smiled. As Yildiz walked ahead, she sighed. "That was close… I can't believe he didn't realize I had a crush on Captain Howe…."

 _ **Piper and Yildiz have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Howe and Keyon finished putting supplies aboard the ship. Howe noticed Keyon's glare. "Is there something wrong?"

"Permission to speak and ACT freely, Captain," Keyon said.

"Granted," Howe said.

 _ **WHAM!**_

Howe held his now bloody nose. "I've been holding that in for some time, now," Keyon confessed. "I'm going to level with you, Howe: you have ruined all of our lives, and I'm pretty certain that I believe I speak for a majority of the crew when I tell you that the only reason we're still tolerating you in charge is because, well, we have no other place to go but continue supporting you."

"I'm painfully aware," Howe said, fixing his nose, "that you're not the biggest fan of my style of leadership, save for the fact that my strategies have still SAVED your life."

"Which probably wouldn't keep being put in danger in the first place if you DIDN'T take the hard way at every turn," Keyon argued. "Look, I'm not going to argue that you were wrong the day this all started with the mutiny we had against Dilazak. But Dilazak is right that you're frustrating to work with because you can't bring yourself to actively IGNORE human suffering in any form. Yes, he's an apathetic arsehole whose primary concern is his wallet and his life, but he's right to look the other way at times of petty problems, and you do NOT consider the risks placed on the rest of us."

"Is there a point to all of this," Howe asked, "or are you finally going to start with the mutiny?" Keyon blinked. "Look, Keyon, I get it. You and I have hardly ever seen eye to eye. You're a survivor, just as in it for the money as Anna and as Captain Dilazak. But for all of the selfishness, you have YET to ever do what Dilazak tried to do and try to kill me. At worst, you're just going to punch me. Have you ever considered that I LET you do it?" Keyon blinked once again. "I let you get away with hitting me because, deep down, I know I need you as a voice of reason for some of my choices, and I may deserve it. However, Keyon, I know you stay not because you have nowhere else to go, but deep down, YOU know that what I do is right in the long way. But if you ever actually TRIED to mutiny against me out of some moral disagreement where I have the moral high ground… we both know who'd win."

"...Did you just threaten me?" Keyon questioned.

"It's not a threat if it's not the truth," Howe replied. Changing the subject, Howe said, "But as my Vice Captain, I trust you to be that negative opinion, Keyon, to keep me down to earth. I like that about you, and you and I haven't tried to kill each other, yet." Howe then walked away. Keyon, however, fumed.

"That… complete arse!" Keyon growled. "He ACTUALLY threatened me! Although he didn't actually say he'd actually kill me, it's still there!"

"Oh, and Keyon," Howe said, turning around. "Look, about not having anywhere to go: we both know that's a lie. But I still thank you. I look forward to working with you." He then left, leaving Keyon confused.

 _ **Howe and Keyon have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So yeah... the playable Anna in _Night of Tales_ actually DID have a Jake. Poor Jake is dead. But the thing is, if one wants Anna to be romanced by ANYONE in the crew, you have no choice BUT to do her Loyalty Mission.

Also, you may have noticed Kairi didn't have a Support Conversation with Howe, yet. She's HARDER to support with Howe than anyone else. She likes Piper because they're both swordswomen and Torio because they have history. The other crew members she tolerates at best. But depending on how much you try to get Howe and Kairi to support before a certain point will change things.

Now, Anna, Piper, and Keyon will all have differing dialogue depending on who you picked as Vice Captain.

Alright, enough of that, time for supports.

 **ZenoZen:** Yeah, I can imagine them in their chibi selves for the end chapter. As for Tawni's caravan gathering beauties, well, no and yes. No because Lamia, Yasmin, Janiya, Elahe, Ria, Thesin, Rawiya, Piper, and Kairi all exist. But yes, because besides Tawni, she has Nasira and Node as companions so far.

As for the implication of a very open Outrealm Gate: yeah, Orobia has one. The world Orobia is in originally was considered a land of exotic trade and attracts treasure hunters and scholars from throughout the _Fire Emblem_ multiverse... hence why there are characters from various parts more openly than Owain, Severa, and Inigo/Odin, Selena, and Laslow from _Awakening_ into _Fates._ However, due to the war, not too many have stayed. But the Outrealm Gate is still open and in use.

 **Consort:** Guaril is living proof that there are perks to writing an experienced protagonist who happens to be somewhat of a magnificent bastard/guile hero. Guaril IS a trickster, and often proves it with his skill. Once he figured out how Tawni's power worked, he deliberately planned to lure the boss to a part of the battlefield where her power would be the weakest, and take her wings off before Tawni took her magic, sending her into a painful fall where he hoped she'd drown or be knocked out. Unfortuantely, Guaril lacked the strength required to make a killing blow. Luckily, he had some help from Akiba, who reminds people that there are other weapons besides Falchion and wyrmslayers that can kill dragons.

I liked Tawni's new power. Once I developed the Astral Projection ability for her, I thought to myself, "How am I going to take advantage of it?" And thus, this was born. Add in Tawni's already impressive resistance since she's a gypsy, and she's the BEST unit to shut down mages, genies, and manaketes in the game. However, when it comes to the physical stuff? She needs help, which is where the rest of the lords and her party come in.

Well, Arya DOES explain point blank, but I'll explain it, again. Arya is not just a random traveler, but actually a princess of Upril, and her grandfather gave HER the fragment to protect. She held onto it at the cost of her escort, who all died protecting her. Now, she's joined Tawni's party to keep herself safe, and once the royal wedding happens, request both Poswali and Cruibian aid to free Upril from the Argelians.

Nasira is one of my favorite party members. Fun fact, I originally created her with the intent to make her be actually Ophelia from _Fates,_ but I decided against that, and ultimately made her be her own character. And I love it.

Now, unfortunately, I'm just pretty much spitballing the idea that pureblood manaketes reproduce by laying eggs when in dragon form. But seeing as manaketes were originally in _Fire Emblem's_ full dragons before degeneration set in and they had to bond with stones to maintain their power, it just seemed more "natural" that manakete can reproduce via eggs when pureblood, and live birth when mixed (since the child may lack the ability to transform very well). As for eating humans, well... some manaketes are cannibals like the boss of this past chapter.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** *Looks at Himli, Jamal, and Dobi having to drag Kareem from an angry mob* He'll be fine.

Fun fact, of all of the people in Tawni's caravan to romantically support with her (so far, said list includes Jamal, Himli, Kareem, Dobi, and now Sento), Jamal has the FASTEST support for her. Jamal is usually the only sane person of the younger members of the caravan (Tawni's often busy dealing with her hidden origins, the fact that she's going to be rom baro one day, and training her powers; Nasira is a naive newcomer to Orobia, but she's also a dark mage; Node is a genie who is WAY too comfortable with flaunting herself and gets herself in trouble often; Dobi barely opens up to people; Himli's along for the ride because he's trying to save his sister, but tends to freak out worrying he's about to step on toes; you know Sento; Arya's rather embarrassed by her father; and Kareem's very little help outside of flirting with girls and being actually very good with a sword), so Tawni relies on him as her rock and best male friend, even though Nasira is her best female friend. The two can easily fall for each other, and dialogue hints Jamal has been in love with Tawni since they were kids when Tawni tried to cheer him up after his father died and Kareem wasn't very good with talking about his feelings.

Yeah, Node wants Dobi BADLY. Dobi, however, is reluctant, due to something he doesn't like talking about.

Well, Mawdood is at least harassing the protagonists openly... it's better than nothing. And it was five queens five years ago, but he stole a Fire Emblem fragment, so he has SOME power. And considering the fact that three of the queens who died were not just damsels in distress, but genuine fighters (two of which fought and defeated a demi-goddess level foe), it was still an impressive feat.

Yeah, I've repeatedly said the Fire Emblem in _Night of Tales_ is a lamp, much different than the usual shield (arguably the best variation of it, hands down). I won't lie, though, _Fates_ does have too many representatives/variations in _Heroes,_ but that's what happens when a game tries to keep to those that players of today recognize.

I love designing Tawni's alternative outfits. As easy as it is for game designers and animators to have your characters parade around in one or a handful of outfits for the duration of the story, I realize with Tawni it's IMPOSSIBLE for her to be a great performer with just a few outfits. So yeah, not going to do that. Also, Tawni's supposed to be the Scheherazade of this, she needs to draw attention to herself. It helps that the boys all have crushes on her.

Ike in a belly dancer outfit? Someone's going to draw that, now.

While we wait, yep, Sento's here. He's not hogging the spotlight, though, Arya's here, too. Arya was a character I planned for from the beginning to be Tawni's reason for going north. But now, she has other reasons. Good luck with that support section, let me know if you need help.

The reason Tactician was NOT on there for an option was, putting it simply, because I know too many people would almost immediately pick it because it's the go-to idea for an Avatar character since you're planning out the battles.

Yep, that's how the Astral Theft power works. Tawni has to be away from enemy units to use it properly without being easily picked off, but her spirit self is virtually untargetable. Sadly, there's no PvP mode planned, because it would be broken if it was allowed.

Oh, well, I'm pretty sure Guaril will buy him a new wyrmslayer. But yeah, another small problem for me with _Fates_ was the ridiculousness of the amount of fanservice designs went into the armor worn by plenty of the characters, especially the female characters (I'm looking at you, Rinkah, wearing only a sarashi and pants in the snow, and Charlotte, for basically wearing underwear while being a border guard, and Effie, for not wearing pants/leggings while being a knight, as examples I can list off the top of my head). I know I'm not much better considering _Night of Tales_ has plenty of it, but here's the thing: _Night of Tales_ takes place in an _Arabian Nights_ inspired setting, so there's a need for more breathable clothing and light armor more here than in _Fates._ Don't get me wrong, fanservice is fine, but in terms of practicality, _Fire Emblem_ is not really the BEST series you want to have people flaunting their assests in, as I have Akiba demonstrate why it's a bad idea.

I don't think people have asked for Sento and Nasira to start being a ship. But yeah, Tawni's a bit more peaceful, teasing version of Ike.

I'm sure Sulaiman will forgive you for not reviewing last time. But oh, thanks for reminding me.

Alright, before I take a break, I promised I'd have summaries up for what you guys would be voting for, next. So, without further ado, here are the summaries for the next chapters. Farewell, subjects!

* * *

 _Tawni's Tale, Chapter 5: Escape from Kashib._ Tawni and her people have headed north towards the border of Poswa and Rusnad. However, Tawni is captured by the sons of Duke Zahar Botros, Zaid and Khalid. While the former prevents the latter from taking advantage of Tawni's vulnerability out of genuine interest in her, Tawni has to escape the Duke's Castle with the help of her caravan….

Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 5: Releasing the Darkness. Sulaiman is sidetracked by his father asking for his help repelling with an Argelian scouting party. Eager to prove himself, Sulaiman and his group join the fight, but things get complicated when Sulaiman's inner darkness is called forth...

Janiya's Tale, Chapter 5: Complicated Visions. Janiya and Yasmin return to Bagedzi with their Aunt Adre, manakete matriarch, in tow. However, they discover two things: Milad has run off with Hova to face Sizah, and Yasmin can see a rather unexpected person with her visions. Through this, they discover an Argelian camp between them and Sizah.

Howe's Tale, Chapter 5: State of Emergency. Several months have passed since Howe and Sema took Nourdari. Their hunt for the Fire Emblem fragments and coordinates for the Eternal Forge is put on hold when Sema gets a critical message from Princess Kadri. Howe volunteers his group to go on foot into Ustrosi territory to deal with this.


	22. Janiya Chapter 5: Complicated Visions

Janiya's Notes: Hey, guys, Princess Janiya, here. The author is currently having a spaz attack because, well... you guys all know that new _Super Smash Bros._ game came out, today, right?

Sulaiman's Notes: Yes, I'm aware that _Ultimate_ is out. Didn't Kingdom Rider92 tell us he's waiting until after Christmas to pick up a copy for himself?

Tawni's Notes: He did tell us, yes. But this is sort of related... you see, on the PlayStation consoles last year, there was this game called _Persona 5_ created by Atlas. It was awesome, it nearly stole Game of the Year 2017 from _The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild._

Howe's Notes: Oh gods, I know what this is about, now. The main protagonist somehow stole a DLC slot, didn't he?

Janiya: Yep, Joker has been confirmed as Fighter Pack 1, most likely because of the _Persona Q2_ game on the Nintendo 3DS. Gotta love that bare minimum requirement that you're on a Nintendo system, somehow. Congratulations, Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Heart.

Tawni: Also, guess what else dropped today? The first trailer for _Avengers: Endgame!_ Stan Lee may no longer be around, but at least his work is going on.

Janiya: Glad to see he's pushing ahead. I heard _Spider-Man: Far From Home's_ trailer will be tomorrow, and our author plans to go see _Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse_ next week. Oh well, I guess I'll just drop this and this, then. *Inserts her and Sulaiman's completed Chapters* So, Miss Tawni, yours is nearly done, right.

Tawni: Yep, just working out some kinks. Let's start with yours, then Prince Sulaiman's, and then I'll finish mine, and we'll get to Howe after we're done. See you all after the chapter!

* * *

 _Summary: Janiya and Yasmin return to Bagedzi with their Aunt Adre, the earth manakete matriarch, in tow. However, they discover two things: one, Milad has run off with Hova to face Sizah, and Yasmin can see a rather unexpected person with her visions. Through this, they discover an Argelian camp between them and Sizah._

* * *

 **Janiya's Tale, Chapter 5: "Complicated Visions"**

* * *

 **Djinn Village of Dhali—Two Days after the Desert Battle**

Sizah looked over a bloodstained astral plate and gritted her teeth. The once peaceful village had changed since Sizah's battle with Muazi. Instead, it was now a fortress surrounded by a miasma of magic, and hate, and several young manaketes who were only visiting Cruibia now in chains. Some wore the same glazed over look on their faces like Megtra. Some were shaking in fear. All of them sported minor wounds at a minimum and covered in dirt and ragged clothing. "Just what the hell time period did I wake up in…?"

"One where a war between continents is the norm, apparently," a female voice answered. The Chaos Djinn looked behind her to see the ocarina djinn flexing her wings that she summoned. She dismissed them, and said, "I woke up two years before all this madness, so I would say I've been released for the past… seven years."

"And I've been gone for nearly thirty, apparently," Sizah scowled. "I remember you from my… final farewell to Muazi. I had it under control, half-breed."

"If by 'under control', you mean, 'Muazi had you actually pinned down with his light magic, and was willing to risk burning his hand off with the orichalcum lance he summoned forth if it meant stopping you for good, and the only reason you're alive is that I chose that moment to use my bat form to slice him in the eyes long enough for you to use your sword to impale him', then yes. You totally had that under control. That ungrateful attitude won't help you keep your little army united against Cruibia's princesses," the nasna woman scoffed.

"Cruibia's… princesses?" Sizah questioned. "So, that hothead Darius had children?"

"With a certain woman named 'Minoo'," the bat genie grinned.

"Minoo," Sizah growled. "Her, that lizard Adre, that half-breed traitor, that Ustrosi girl, and that mage! They DARED to reproduce. I'm going to enjoy slaughtering their children before their eyes before executing them like the scum they are."

"Unfortunately for you, Minoo, Farah, and Kalia are all dead," the bat genie said. "Two of them allegedly met their match when they were ambushed by the Empress of Argelia during a supposed peace talk. No matter how many armies they've defeated, even they can't deal with an ambush if timed right. Kalia, with her health complications, didn't take too well to the news of two of her lifelong friends and her pregnant daughter-in-law dying."

"...So, three of the five biggest pains in my neck after Gargec were plucked in my absence," the ifrit said. "I don't know whether to thank the Argelian Empress or remove her head myself when I take this army to the empire after I'm done with Cruibia. Maybe I'll shake her hand before stabbing her for stealing my kills and running a nation built upon the back of djinn slaves only rising up to attempt to retake their birthright as the gods of this world."

"That's not a good idea," the bat genie replied. "Argelia has far more orichalcum than the rest of the Orobian nations put together. Not to mention if my history is correct, Argelia only fought against Escen, the djinn nation in question, in self-defense when the latter attacked them for no reason and slaughtered the last Argelian king in cold blood in front of his daughter when he tried to parley with them. Even as a genie myself, I can hardly sympathize."

"You would, half-breed, if you cared for your life," Sizah threatened, "you wouldn't be mouthing off to a goddess so much."

"Oh, I'm just as old as you, if not more," the bat genie said. "And you should be far more willing to take criticism. I mean, what is your real plan, here? You get the genie community of Cruibia to rise up, destroy the country from the inside-out before these Argelians do, then go on a rampage through Orobia, killing or enslaving every manakete you come across, then destroy Argelia just because the humans enslaved our people in self-defense? And then, find Rerci? You need an army of more than just djinn because that army will never get past Argelia's southern mountains before they shoot you down with orichalcum arrows."

"What's your stake in this?" Sizah accused.

"My 'stake' is my business," the bat genie replied. "I just want to make sure the person I'm backing is actually capable of achieving her goals."

"...So, more than just djinn, huh?" Sizah questioned. "Like whom? And more importantly, who ARE you?"

"You may refer to me as 'Ashiya Doman'," the bat genie replied. "And I have my suggestions. These will hopefully make the Cruibian royals quake in fear."

* * *

 **Bagedzi Palace, Guest Quarters—Five Days Later**

Darius, Yasmin, Janiya, the hologram of Sulaiman (who was taking a drink), and a few maids all watched in varying forms of emotions (Darius groaning, Yasmin mildly horrified, the servants very terrified at their hard work being completely destroyed, Janiya confused, and Sulaiman apparently used to this) as the massive woman ruined a perfectly good guest room bed. Pillows were ripped, blankets were torn, the curtains were completely down, the sheets now had holes, and the comforter was now bundled up to look like some kind of giant nest. When Adre was finished with that, she then rather daintily climbed onto the ruined bed, and laid on it curled up on her side.

"That's better for the babies," Adre smiled, rubbing her bare stomach with motherly affection before looking at the group. She raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What?"

"Um, Aunt Adre," Yasmin said, "what was that for? Did we offend you or something?"

" _No, Yasmin, I'm afraid Miss Adre is… nesting,"_ Sulaiman interjected. " _She's done this before back when she visited Tanuhah when she was pregnant with her first clutch of eggs."_

"Oh, man, I almost forgot about that," Adre giggled. "Farah was so confused as to manakete traits, including our tendency to tear up where we are to 'rest' so it's comfortable."

"Wait, manaketes… lay eggs?" Janiya questioned.

" _Only pureblood manaketes do,"_ Sulaiman said. " _Any other type of blood and the child has to be live born like any natural mammal."_

"Okay, better question," Janiya said. "Why NOW did you decide to get pregnant, Aunt Adre? We kind of need you to deal with Sizah."

"I missed my friends, okay?" Adre replied. "And, well, I wanted to honor my fallen blood sisters by naming some kids after them… but I wasn't expecting my niece's boy toy to not listen to my warnings about the Valley of Fangs right at the height of the eggs being formed." Looking at Sulaiman, she asked, "Your parents told YOU to never go there, didn't they?"

" _Mother and Father claimed that the Valley was a death trap,"_ Sulaiman replied. " _They never explained why, but now I know."_ Turning back to Yasmin and Janiya, he said, " _So, are the manaketes safe?"_

"I was hoping to AVOID discussing that war elephant in the room," Janiya admitted. "But yes, I made sure some manaketes are safe, Prince Sulaiman. They were from Xuhua. Good call on the genies, by the way. I can't believe Sizah managed to convince a whole group to attack random manaketes."

"Your mother's old enemy is awe-inspiring in terms of power," Darius said. "But speaking of the manaketes… I've had to get a translator since the leader of the manaketes spoke in Xuhuan and despite knowing Orobian, he refuses to talk in it. But when he's in the mood, he said a lot about you, Janiya." He smirked. "Thank you for sticking to your mission of not killing the genies at his request."

"He requested you to kill them?" Yasmin asked. "Little sister… I'm so glad you didn't do that!"

"Don't celebrate just yet, Father and sister," Janiya frowned. "I may have, by refusing him, made an enemy of Xuhua's dragon population. He claimed I put Elahe's desires before doing what he thinks was the 'right thing'. Did I do the right thing by sticking to my mission, Father?"

"The sad truth of ruling, Janiya, is that your decisions as king or queen will NOT be approved by everyone," Darius said. "It was a hard lesson that I learned back when Sultan Wisaam murdered my parents and I pressed for revenge before putting my people first. Your mother made me wake up to that reality, and take ruling more seriously. While it may have an impact much later, for now, your mercy prevented some genie groups from supporting Sizah outright and kept Cruibia a bit more united in a time of crisis. You made a good call."

"Well, I don't see Xuhua offering to help stop Sizah, so forget them for now," Adre said. "Of course, I'm not exactly able to talk, right now, considering… ooh!" Adre winced. She then turned to her stomach, and said, "Okay, little hatchlings, I know you want to be born, but Mama's got to finish forming your eggs so you'd be safe, actually lay you, then incubate you, little girls." She then turned to Janiya, and said, "Tell you what, girls: want to have Heluc on your team? He's all yours. He actually is a fire manakete, so you have some power."

"Um, thanks for the troop," Janiya said. Turning to her future brother-in-law, she said, "So, now that we've gotten the manaketes protected and stopped some of her djinns, what would be a probable next move?"

" _Seriously, you really want my advice?"_ Sulaiman asked.

"You WERE right about the genies being lured by Sizah, and I need to think like an ifrit to stop her," Janiya said.

"Don't worry, she means that in the nicest way possible," Yasmin said, looking at a spot next to Sulaiman.

" _Hm… I would think after realizing genies alone will not defeat the Cruibian royals, she will either go for your disgruntled non-Rerci worshippers, or either the jackal or bird populations would be next."_

"What about the bird population?" Ria asked while she poked her head in. "Wait… my dad runs a TAVERN in the birdfolk population, and I'm part birdfolk."

" _Well, that is going to be a problem_ ," Sulaiman said. " _Seeing as there isn't a flock of rocs and falcons flying over Bagedzi, I can say that the birds of Cruibia are safe for now. How long that will last, however… you all might want to hurry, maybe prevent Sizah from turning them as well. But since Cruibia is stretched thin thanks to these…"_ He shuddered before continuing. " _Argelian templars, will probably only have time to prevent one group from being lured against you. Either the humans or non-humans."_ Yasmin held up her Fire Emblem fragment and concentrated. Her eyes then shined, and she smiled after the fade.

"Your advice has yet to lead us astray, my slider turtle," Yasmin flirted. "We'll ask Dastan to send a few new templars to Ria's people ahead of us. They can at least hold until we get there."

"Thanks, m'lady," Ria bowed.

" _Right, templars,"_ Sulaiman chuckled. " _I never thought I would say this but thank the gods for orichalcum to defend them, allowing you to take a third option."_

"I may not know or like warfare," Yasmin smiled, "but I can figure out ways to protect my people, my slider turtle."

" _That you can, my light dove,"_ Sulaiman smiled.

"…You know," Adre said, "when I heard Farah and Minoo's kids were getting together, I didn't know what to expect. But now, I expect adorable moments like that." Changing the subject, she said, "But shouldn't we go after Sizah herself? She has and is torturing my little Megtra!"

"That would be a move Milad would do," a frustrated male voice said. Everyone turned to see an angry Benyamin holding a whimpering Ziba, and a serious Kamyar and Etti.

"Hey, Etti," Adre smiled. Etti walked in and hugged her childhood friend. "Missed you, too, Valkyrie."

"The next time you plan to illegally tunnel under Cruibia's border," Etti chided, "seriously, call me, first. We're the last two Valkyries, now, and you're with child. Had the Widowing Massacre not happened, Kalia would have been a grandmother."

"Oh my gods, I would have loved to tickle the baby boy's tummy," Adre said.

"Wait, what about Milad?" Janiya questioned. Ziba whimpered again for her older twin brother. Janiya walked over and hugged her little cousin. "Ziba… where's your brother?"

"He left this," Benyamin said for her. He held a letter for Janiya that she immediately took. As she read, he scowled, "If neither Sizah nor the Argelian Neo Crusaders kill him, I just might."

"…Is he stupid!?" Janiya growled. She looked at the concerned Sulaiman, and said, "Okay, out of curiosity more than anything else, how many people are listening on your end."

" _I tend to do these conversations in my room, so it should be just me."_

"Good," Janiya said. "But still, just in case, and I'm totally sorry about this, goodbye Sulaiman." She took her sister's astral plate and disconnected the magic. She dropped the plate and growled. "Milad, you idiot! You may as well have hand-delivered Hova and Cruibia into Sizah's hands!"

"My astral crystal," Yasmin protested, seeing it accidentally broken.

"I'll get you a new one after we save Milad from his stupidity," Janiya promised.

"What?" Darius queried. He took the letter, and read, "'Dear family, I have carefully studied Hova and its magic, as well as Sizah's past major defeats. The key to immediately defeating her is a dragonstone she'll have on her possession. If we capture her bound object and then destroy it, we may have a chance between the shock it will cause and her actually turning into a ghoul to land a mortal blow. Dastan and I have formed a plan to trap Sizah at the jackal community. Tell Janiya that I will return Hova after Sizah is killed. Milad'." He sighed. "He honestly thinks his dark magic will defeat Sizah's dark magic?"

"In theory," Kamyar answered, "it isn't wrong since ifrits are more suspect to magic than the other djinn races. But we all know in practice… this will not end well."

"It took all five Golden Valkyries as well as Mecca and Darius working together to defeat her," Adre recounted. Pointing to the scar on her midriff, she explained, "She almost gutted and dominated me at the end… Minoo herself even said she thinks we would have lost had Sizah turned me to her side. I think, Etti, your son overestimates himself."

"Milad is a little arrogant with his magic," Etti admitted.

"So… Milad's going to get himself killed?" Ziba questioned.

"Not if I can help it," Janiya said. "Yasmin, gather your people, I'll get mine. If we get going by tomorrow, we'll be able to hopefully catch up to him before he actually starts biting more than he can chew."

"Of course," Yasmin said.

"Thanks, cousins," Benyamin said, hugging them. After ending that hug, he turned to his parents, and said, "Mother, Father, I'll drag Milad home by his ears across the desert if I have to."

"I pray it doesn't come to that," Kamyar said. "But please, be careful. If you see Sizah, don't fight her… get your brother, your sister, and your cousins out of there. No matter what, do you understand?"

"I will, and I do."

"That's my little man," Etti smiled, hugging him. "Take care, Benyamin."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Adre smiled. "I kind of wish I brought my kids, my nephews, and my nieces." Everyone but Benyamin and Ziba shot her a look of pure horror.

* * *

"Hey, Janiya!" Adre said minutes later after Janiya informed her small unit of what was happening. Walking up to her blood sister's daughter, she asked, "Do you have a moment to talk business?"

"Aunt Adre?" Janiya asked. "Um… define 'business'."

"Business, noun," Adre said. "The practice of making one's living by engaging in commerce. Example: I have set up shop in the castle, and I have brought these." She then pulled out a box, and opened it, revealing several shiny stones. "I took the liberty of bringing several shifter stones with me, and I am prepared to sell them to you at a discounted price because you're family!"

"...What?" Janiya asked.

"Well, I realize that you now have my niece's boytoy with you, and it's only a matter of time before you add other tribes to your ranks, so I have taken the liberty of preparing for that. Have you checked over your weapons and shields durability?" Janiya looked over her sword and frowned. "Stones also have their durability limit, too, and outside of wherever you can find an Anna or a shifter tribe merchant, they're incredibly rare, and it may come off as scary to consider using Heluc too much. Lucky for you, Orobia is known throughout the Realms as 'that filthy stinking rich merchant continent', so you may find sellers… just not those who sell dragon stones, they're mostly in western Orobia, and you yourself are locked in Cruibia."

"Well, I figured that much," Janiya said. "What I don't get is why YOU are saying that I have to BUY these! I understand that Father's given me control over my little unit's war chest, so it makes sense that I'm the one you would come to in order to discuss payment. But couldn't you just GIVE them to me, saying it's for a good cause?"

"Unfortunately," Adre said, "my duty as the matriarch of a manakete hamlet has limited my ability to travel very far without good reason, especially when I'm with child. So, I made a deal with the elders that said 'good reason' this time would involve making the hamlet some coin. We manaketes like our shiny things. So, yeah… you, Yasmin, Etti, Darius, Kamyar, Ziba, Benyamin, and Milad all get a discount. Everyone else with you has to pay full price, so consider that before sending someone to my store. If you have a merchant, they may be able to talk me into giving them a discount. And if you're shopping for your convoy, it's still full price. As for selling things, I'll give everyone I listed a little extra bonus."

"Figures I'd be the one who gets the favoritism of stores talk," Janiya said to nobody in particular. "I suppose I could give your wares a lookover, and send people your way. Do you have anything besides stones?"

"Well," Adre said, "my niece's boytoy DID bring some weapons, and I have some items and shields available. Please note that I don't carry magic tomes, don't really have too much need for those in the village, I don't have orichalcum weaponry because Poswa doesn't have orichalcum, and I hate weapons designed for killing dragons, so nothing particularly special there. But for you, I have a sample for free." She pulled out a thin, light looking sword. "Behold the rapier! Your mother's favorite type of sword smuggled straight from Renais." As Janiya looked at the sword, Adre continued, "Lightweight, thin, designed for thrusting instead of heavy strikes, piercing the small weak points of heavy armor and for hitting the vitals of mammals, so beast units fear it as well as cavalry. Keep that in mind when you engage your enemies, but otherwise, it's perfect for a fashionable lady of war."

"Thanks, Aunt Adre," Janiya smiled, storing away her newest sword. "Now, let's see what else you have…."

* * *

 **Road to Ad Dacko—Two Days Later**

Janiya, Yasmin, and their allies were on their way to Ad Dacko to convince Milad to abandon his plans. Heluc was flapping by on his wings while Janiya rode Ria's pegasus, and he asked, "So, Princess, about this place we're going to… Ad Dacko, right? What's it like?"

"Oh, this is my first time, too," Janiya said. "But Yasmin and her retainers know it. Ad Dacko is the location of the biggest jackal community in southern Orobia. Jackals are strong, proud people who happen to be able to turn into giant dogs."

"That's putting it mildly, m'lady," Emerald said. "The jackals are also territorial warriors. It took a great deal of convincing on Lady Yasmin, King Darius, and even Queen Minoo's parts to get them to accept humans coming to their territory."

"And by which, we mean, 'back when we pegasus knights were on a trip with the royal family as part of our training'," Ria added, "'we got to see the rare sight of Queen Minoo in action'."

"Queen Minoo as a diplomat?" Heluc said. "That must have been a sight to see."

"Um, actually," Yasmin confessed, "it was the first time I saw Mother fight. I tried talking to the chieftain, Mehran, into working with humans, and he turned into his dog form to try to intimidate me. It kind of worked, but he kind of should not have done that with my parents there thinking he'd try to eat me. The only reason Father didn't attack him was that Mother was quicker." She then pondered, "I wonder if Chieftain Mehran got over that ear wound?"

"Well, milady," Emerald added, "the jackals immediately came to respect the queen, declaring her an honorary jackal. That's why when they heard that your mother died, they immediately pledged their allegiance to your house."

"Thank you, Emerald," Yasmin smiled.

"Hey, Yasmin," Benyamin called up. "I don't want to rush you, but can you use your fragment to… you know? Figure out what Milad's plan is and how well it works?"

"Well, I suppose I could," Yasmin said. "Let's stop up ahead here, though, just in case." The group stopped several meters back from a group of ruins. "Now, I'll concentrate, but I would like someone to look out." She closed her eyes and focused her magic. Her fragment then started glowing. Janiya, meanwhile, looked on in concern.

"You know, I think she's getting better with that," Janiya said. "Doesn't mean I'm worried." She then saw Yasmin gasp. "Yasmin!?" Janiya questioned. She and Ziba then touched her sister and were pulled into the vision.

* * *

 _Yasmin, Ziba, and Janiya looked around, spotting a set of Argelian Neo Crusaders preparing to attack a town, led by a rather bland-looking cavalier on an actual horse. Sure, he wore the golden hawk of the Neo Crusaders, but he wore thin green plate mail and had messy brown hair, a long plain face, drooping black eyes with bags beneath them, and thin cheek lines._

" _Hazır olun erkekler {Be prepared, men}," the Neo Crusader grinned. "Word is the princesses and their little band is on their way through this area to find some mad, powerful genie. But we don't care about the genie. We care about the princesses. The general wants their heads and, if the rumors are true, the Fire Emblem fragment! We do that, and promotions all around are guaranteed {Word is the princesses and their little band are on their way through this area to find some mad, powerful genie. But we don't care about the genie. We care about the princesses. The general wants their heads and, if the rumors are true, the Fire Emblem fragment! We do that, and promotions all around are guaranteed}!"_

"What is he saying?" _Janiya asked._

"My Argelian isn't the best," _Ziba said as she watched him set up points,_ "but if I had to take a guess, their leader there is saying that he's setting up an ambush for us…."

"T-T-That's a pretty good guess," _a female voice said. She then gasped. The three young women looked to see a flushing pink haired girl about Yasmin's age wearing a white-hijab, a pair of glasses over her large brown eyes, a pink and gold thawb decorated in white and red beads, and a golden necklace with a fragment similar to Yasmin's, but with a pink gem._ "Oh hayır {Oh no}."

"An Argelian!?" _Janiya questioned._ "And one that can see us…?"

"Uh-huh," _Ziba nodded._ "The question is… how?"

"I know how," _Yasmin said. She held up her fragment, and the girl's fragment shined like hers._ "You… you have a fragment of the Fire Emblem, too."

"H-H-H-How did you figure me out!?" _the girl asked._

"Just a feeling," _Yasmin smiled. Janiya took a step in front of her sister and cousin, drawing her sword._

 _Janiya said,_ "Yasmin, Ziba, stay behind me." _The Argelian girl gasped, backing up as she looked at the sword._ "If this Argelian girl really IS carrying a fragment of the Fire Emblem… then this can only be someone who knows and is working for Empress Chitra!"

"Mother?" _the Argelian girl questioned. She then covered her mouth, and moaned,_ "Oh, neden konuşmaya devam ediyorum {Oh, why do I keep talking}!?"

"Did she say 'Mother'?" _Ziba questioned._ "When you mentioned Empress Chitra, Janiya? So she's… the Argelian princess? She's kind of cute."

"...Yes, I'm Princess Kadri Solak," _the girl admitted with a frown and bow. Janiya was slightly thrown off._ "Seeing as you found me out, I was using my power to try to help my friend out in her mission, seeing as her pirate has gone missing… you must be the Cruibian princesses, are you not?"

"Good guess," _Yasmin smiled._

"Yasmin, Ziba, don't be friendly with the enemy," _Janiya chided._

"Then, you wouldn't happen to know the coordinates of the Eternal Forge, would you…?" _Kadri asked. Yasmin, Janiya, and Ziba blinked._ "P-Please, it's where Rerci is supposedly sealed away! Working together, we could free Her and end this war! I know you probably don't want to hear it from someone like me, but I bet it's something Queen Minoo would have wanted, for her daughters to finish what she couldn't!"

"Even IF we knew what you were talking about," _Janiya scowled,_ "why the hell would I tell the likes of you?" _Kadri shrank when she saw the tear-filled, enraged glare Janiya was giving her._ "Your mother, five years ago, tricked and murdered my mother, her best friend, the woman carrying one of her friends' grandchildren, and two other Orobian queens, and didn't even answer WHY this happened! Ustros, Upril, and Rusnad have suffered because of her! Cruibia is being ravaged by these Neo Crusaders because of HER! All of this senseless violence is on her hands! And you expect me to help YOU!? The only two reasons I'm not killing you right here and now is because I don't know if me running you through here will actually work, and I need a messenger. Tell your mom that she better pray Sizah destroys Cruibia."

"Sizah…?" _Kadri questioned._

"Because once I'm done with Sizah, I'm coming for Empress Chitra," _Janiya finished._ "Thanks for letting us know about this ambush. Hope you're not too attached to these Argelians."

 _With that, Janiya let the vision fade…._

* * *

When Janiya returned to the real world, she noticed Ziba and Yasmin were both still in the vision. Janiya turned to the rest of the army, and said, "There's an Argelian ambush waiting for us, ahead. Yasmin's vision has a group of Neo Crusaders taking over a town and setting up chokepoints."

"Thanks for letting us know, Princess," Saiduq said.

"But why do you seem so bitter, right now?" Payam asked.

"It's nothing, Payam," Janiya replied. "We should do something about the ambush." Yasmin and Ziba came out of the vision. Before Janiya could head towards, Yasmin gripped her wrist. "Sis?"

"I understand more than anyone that losing Mother was hard on you," Yasmin whispered. "It was hard on me, too. And it was hard on Father. But Janiya: you just made it a little harder to understand what happened that night and hope to regain peace without the complete destruction of a country. And not everyone is like their parents… she seemed rather shy."

"It could be an act," Janiya brushed off.

"Sis, I need you to calm down, here," Yasmin said, giving a rare firm glare. Janiya stopped. "You make mistakes when you let your emotions get to you and you rush in… mistakes that get you and others hurt. I need you to control yourself so you don't make too many more. You won't just get hurt, this time. And the only way I've seen Milad making it out of this alive… is if you get your act together. Forget about revenge for Mother for the rest of this campaign against Sizah, and focus on her. We defeat Sizah, we can get the Poswali assistance to drive back the Argelians, and then we'll save Northern Orobia, and THEN you can fight Argelia all you want. But right now, we need to stop Sizah to save Cruibia."

"...Okay," Janiya said. "...This have anything to do with your lover?"

"We're stretched thin keeping our country together, right now," Yasmin said aloud, softening her glare. "We could use him and his people."

"Well, technically," Heluc said, stretching his wings, "I'm kind of one of his people. I'll show you what a Poswali raised fire manakete can do if it means getting Megtra back!"

"Another word, princesses," Saladin said. "You all should take this time to pull back on your allies and make sure everyone has what they need. Not everyone has to participate in the battle at the same time, and fighting in a city creates too many opportunities for the enemy to take advantage of choke points. Pick your vanguard very carefully."

"Well, I'll go," Janiya and Yasmin both said. Both looked at each other.

"You've been letting me lead so far," Janiya justified.

"And I took time to briefly study the city," Yasmin said.

"Alright, you two are locked in," Saladin said. "I guess Heluc should go, too. Who else do you want to bring into the battle?"

* * *

 **Ruined City of Pazallar—Several Minutes Later**

A female voice sighed in a ruined building. The sigh belonged to a short young woman about 25 years old with slight curves, a modest bust size, and short dark brown hair wearing a midnight blue blouse that stopped just above her midriff, purple harem pants, a dark blue sash belt, and a pair of sandals. However, what stopped her from being completely human were the long cat tail and brown cat ears, sharp facial features, and blue eyes with slanted feline pupils.

"This quarantine sucks! And these Argelians are killing everyone in sight… how am I going to find my apparent siblings if I keep getting blocked like this!?" the mau girl said. "Well, if they come my way, I'll be prepared."

Janiya, Yasmin, Heluc, and their allies (Benyamin, Saladin, Elahe, and the pegasus knights) all walked/rode into the city. "Are you sure you want the rest of us to stay back?" Ziba asked, looking worried while staying back with Caspar, Nikou, Saiduq, and Payam.

"Yeah," Janiya nodded. "I want you safe and ready to heal, while the Commander, Payam, Caspar, and Nikou can protect you." She smiled. "I'm entrusting you with my best friend, little Ziba. You can handle that, right?"

"Okay," Ziba nodded.

"She's in good hands," Nikou saluted. "We'll take on anyone you miss!"

"Be careful, princesses," Caspar said. "We'll handle things back here."

"Lady Janiya, you take care of yourself, alright?" Payam asked.

"Of course," Janiya smiled at her best friend.

"Okay, I see why you ship it," Rosetta said to Elahe.

"Darn right," Elahe said.

"Quiet, girls," Janiya softly scowled at them. With that, Janiya turned back to her sister, and said, "So, why did you ask to come, Yasmin? Do you think you can convince the Argelians to surrender?"

"Well, I'm sure defeating the leader of this group COULD end this for us all, but that's not why I wanted to join you on this battle," Yasmin said. "I need you to come close to me." Janiya and Yasmin stood by each other, and their eyes shined again. But instead of a complicated vision, it showed Janiya what the enemies were planning. "As long as we're close to each other, little sister, we can see what exactly is the current plan of our enemies. You'll be better prepared for fights."

"So, this way, we can effectively ambush their ambush," Janiya grinned. "Why haven't we done this until now!?"

"Because you're impatient and reckless," Yasmin replied. Janiya raised a finger to argue but lowered it. Instead, she turned to Saladin and whispered what she saw.

"Okay, got it," Saladin said. He motioned Rosetta and Elahe to follow him. Yasmin, Heluc, and Benyamin went their own way, spotting some regular Argelian knights. Emerald and Ria followed Janiya, drawing her new rapier.

She then hid, looking at a nearby cavalier that hadn't seen her, yet. When the rider didn't see her, Janiya snuck up and struck both the rider and his horse down before they could make too much noise. Meanwhile, Saladin and Rosetta spotted a myrmidon, and Rosetta quickly struck him down before he could react to her pegasus' speed. When a knight walked forward, Elahe raised her tome before blasting the knight. That sadly didn't go unnoticed by the Argelians. Neither did Benyamin's spell.

"Orobians!" the lead cavalier growled in Orobian. "Kill them all!"

"Well, that escalated, quickly," Janiya said. She then ducked into a ruin while Ria and Emerald engaged a cavalier with a lance. Coincidentally, it was the same ruined building as the mau girl, who blinked in curiosity. "What the… who are you?"

"I was going to ask YOU that question," the mau said. She took a sniff. "You smell like someone important, but there's also another smell. Wait… Poswali manakete?"

"Huh?" Janiya questioned. "Um, no, I'm not one."

"But there's the smell on you," the girl said. "Tell me, have you seen a male or female manakete, most likely with traits like me?"

"Traits like you?" the princess questioned. "Um, with all due respect… I see just a mau. You're a catgirl."

"Yeah, I'm half-mau," the mau admitted, smiling with teeth far sharper than they should for a mau. "But according to my late father, my mother was a manakete. She apparently gave birth to two older siblings." She then sharply added, "I want to find them, but this damn quarantine is blocking me! Why do these Cruibian royals want to suddenly block everyone off!?"

"I'm really sorry about that," Janiya apologized. "We're dealing with a serious issue, though, because we want to block off Argelian reinforcements and delay other countries from having to deal with a monster."

"Well, that stinks, but it kind of makes my own quest hard," the mau said, calming down. "Wait, you're Cruibian royalty?"

"Just like you're a half-manakete," Janiya replied. "I need you to come with me right NOW."

"What?" the girl said. "Well, sure I guess I can come with you, as long as you don't mind my mischief, but… why?"

"Because if you don't, it won't be just these Argelians you have to worry about," Janiya warned. "There's a madwoman named Sizah on the loose, an ancient djinn who hates Cruibians AND manaketes!"

"Oh," the girl nodded. "Alright. But remember when you complain about Esen's mischief, you asked for it!" She then held up a beaststone and turned into a giant cat, which she used to smash through the other wall of the ruin, allowing Janiya to see Heluc in his fire manakete form hitting the enemy with his fire magic.

"They have a dragon!?" an Argelian questioned. "And a mau!?"

"Damn right we do!" Janiya said, blasting a wyvern knight out of the sky with her wind magic. Meanwhile, Heluc took down another wyvern knight, and Benyamin used his magic to deal with knights that were approaching him and Yasmin. Saladin, meanwhile, crossed steel lances with the lead cavalier.

"I'm Arcturus of the Neo Crusaders!" the cavalier introduced himself, his horse exhaling on Saladin. "I will prove my strength by removing your heads from your shoulders!"

"Good luck," Saladin said before dodging backward from the horse rearing up to trample him. After barely avoiding the hooves, Saladin blocked a templar's sword. "Templars, too?"

"That's not good, Saiduq muttered from his spot, having helped deal with a few enemies that snuck by Janiya's group. "Princesses, get back together if that skill is your best bet! We need to get those templars off the field!"

"Right," Janiya said. She then, with Esen's help, headed over to Yasmin, Esen taking out a couple Cavaliers and even a surprise bow knight. "How are you able to do that so quickly when I have a rapier?"

"Oh, my beast side allows me to focus on fighting cavalry and more mammal-based fliers," Esen answered. "Anyway, that your sister healing that guy?" Janiya looked to see Benyamin getting his bleeding arm healed by Yasmin.

"What happened to you?" Janiya asked her elder cousin.

"Oh, I got bit by a bat," Benyamin said. "I was worse off before Yasmin."

"That's a little big for a bat bite," Janiya observed. Yasmin's eyes lit up. She then pointed to Janiya's side. The younger princess got the vision as well and drew her rapier. She barely avoided getting bit by a COLOSSAL bat, but when she tried to counter, the bat dodged. "Damn it, they're faster than me…!"

" **Too slow, Cruibian Princess,"** the bat said in a female voice.

"Wait, I know that voice," Arcturus said. "Is that you, Lady Mineva?" The bat turned into a fair-skinned young woman, about Yasmin's age, with waist length hair in a cascade of light brown, a heart-shaped face with bright green eyes shining with a small bit of bloodlust, an ample chest beneath her form-fitting green dress shirt, white pants hugging her hourglass figure, and a pair of black heeled boots. She was beautiful enough to make Janiya envious but seemed crazy enough to make her wary. "I'm honored to be fighting alongside you, Four-Winged Queen!"

"My my, you figured it out, soldier," the batwoman, Mineva, said. "I guess there is a genius among you low-ranked thugs."

"Don't tell me you forgot my name again!?" Arcturus complained. "Come on, I honestly thought the right hand to General Cecani would be here to see my time of success!"

"Your time of success?" Mineva questioned. "My love doesn't even know your name. You're just a glory hound, and your men aren't even real Neo Crusader elites. None of you are worth MY time. Just like these Cruibians." She then looked at Benyamin, and said, "Although their blood tastes good, they're not worth my true efforts. The only one who seems like she would be is just not there, yet."

"We stood a better chance when we realized this ambush was coming," Janiya admitted through gritted teeth, "but we still have some problems."

"Yeah," Benyamin said, clenching his healed hand. "I didn't even see her coming… she's almost on the same level as Uncle Darius and Mother back in their prime."

"Uncle Darius?" Mineva said. "So, you're the band of kids my sweet Casval fought last month! That means," she added, looking at Janiya, "you're the little girl with the mommy complex."

"Janiya," Yasmin chided before she even could move, "don't. Get. Worked. Up."

"Wow, a hidden aggressive side," Mineva noticed. "Guess every rose does have their thorns, even in the desert. Even Princess Kadri does have a hidden fierce side. She may look like a younger version of her mother, but she has her dad's traits." She then said, "Well, don't mind me." She then turned into her bat form again, before flying away.

"Wait, you're not helping!?" Arcturus questioned. "Fine, but when I present General Cecani these heads, you won't get any credit!" He then called to the Argelians, "Well, let's get to work! Kill these Cruibian dogs!"

"Well, we now have a better chance than we did before," Yasmin said. "Sis, want to see what we're up against?" Janiya nodded, being shown what other traps the Argelian army here had in store. "Alright, let's finish this up… Milad needs our help."

"Right," Janiya said. She then saw Elahe floating over with Ria. After Yasmin healed them both, Janiya questioned, "Elahe, can we get a ride?"

"Yes, m'lady!" Elahe smiled while she and Ria let Yasmin and Janiya on, respectively. The two flew towards Arcturus and let off their passengers.

"Ah, the Princess arrives before me," Arcturus grinned while breaking off his engagement from Saladin. As Yasmin healed the soldier, Arcturus boasted, "I can't wait to see the General's face when I deliver your head to him! I'm sure I'll be promoted three ranks!"

"Three?" Janiya said. "My, you have a high opinion of yourself. But here's the thing: it shall not be a Cruibian head delivered to your boss." He then charged at her with his horse. While Janiya was initially thrown off by fighting cavalry, she was thrown off by it no longer. She held her rapier and struck. Although she had a gash on her arm thanks to Arcturus' lance, it was much better than the cavalier's wound. In that, his chest now had a sword buried in it.

"Damn you," Arcturus choked out. "I'm… supposed to be… meant for greatness…." He then fell off his horse dead, and Janiya held onto her arm. Ziba and the others regrouped.

"Well, that was an unpleasant distraction," Saiduq said while Ziba healed her cousin. "What next?"

"We press on and find Milad before he unintentionally puts Orobia in mortal danger," Janiya replied.

"Alright," Esen said. "And then, once this Sizah chick is dealt with, maybe then I can figure out where my family is!"

"I'm sorry, but what?" Benyamin asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Esen Burakgazi!" the mau-manakete girl replied. "I'm half-mau, half-manakete. And this stupid quarantine you Cruibians have sucks! If I don't get out of Cruibia soon, who knows where my siblings will end up!"

"We're sorry for the inconvenience," Yasmin said. "You're not the first manakete to be deterred by this incident."

"I identify more to my mau side," Esen replied. "I was raised in my father's tribe… until he and most of the elders passed on. But I found out that I have two half-siblings and my mother was here in Cruibia at least a few years ago!"

"Hey, new question," Ziba said. "What separates a mau from a jackal?"

"Oh, that's easy," Yasmin smiled. "Maus are more feline than canine. You'd sooner find a mau in western Orobia while you'd find a jackal in eastern Orobia."

"Oh," Ziba nodded.

"Anyway," Esen said, "if helping you all means that I can get going to the other parts of Orobia, then consider me on your side."

"Glad to have you," Yasmin bowed. "Again, we're sorry for the inconvenience, but we figured by preventing Sizah from escaping, we could easily track her down. And we have." Looking around the city, she sighed, "I just wish we could help this town."

Janiya thought about it. She then said, "We should probably make some place they and others could easily evacuate to before the fighting gets worse."

"Good idea," Yasmin said. "Of course, we'd have to direct someone to do that. For our own reasons, sister, neither you, me, or our cousins can do that, and I don't think Heluc or Esen will be willing to. Whoever we put in charge of the evacuation, we probably won't see for a while."

Janiya sighed in frustration. She then thought about it, and then turned to Caspar. "Hey, Caspar, could I ask you to escort the villagers to a safer location?"

"It will take some time, but I should rejoin you after your next battle, m'lady," Caspar said with a bow. "It will give me a chance to do something, anyway."

"Thank you," Janiya said. "Alright, gang. We'll patch ourselves up, and then we'll move out to Ad Dacko!"

* * *

Janiya's Notes: And scene!

Sulaiman's Notes: So, we just saw you all go up against an Argelian ambush. Had you and Yasmin considered how short your campaign would be if we didn't have the Neo Crusaders?

Janiya: Yeah, we have. But at least they make for good fights and introduce the fact that I'm the one who can use rapiers. Well, you can, too.

Sulaiman: True, true. Anyway, thank you, LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green for once again giving us Arcturus and Mineva... the former of which you practically gave us permission and fully expected to be killed off early. But Janiya, if you're going to start with stealth, you better commit, from now on.

Janiya: Oh, save your spiel. I'm not exactly like Tawni or Howe. Speaking of them, we should also thank Imperium 7, since they created not just Esen, but two MORE characters for those campaigns, one of which will be on Howe's next chapter.

Sulaiman: So, I'm the only one who's not getting a new ally from them. Fine, fair enough. But Esen, despite her manakete blood, fights like a mau. Now, this would be the part where we cover them, but we are done with that because we already have, if you haven't seen it already, covered all of the classes in _Night of Lore._

Janiya: Shameless plug aside, what did you make of Princess Kadri? I bet she's putting on that timid act.

Sulaiman: I don't know, she seemed kind of

Janiya: Let's agree to disagree. But at least Aunt Adre was nice enough to give me access to her store. But the favoritism mechanic?

Sulaiman: Orobia, especially during peacetimes, is a proud merchant continent where there's plenty of treasure and/or money to find and spend on things. If we didn't personally guess that the Fire Emblem was why this war happened, we would probably think it would be a war over resources. But there are some shops who offer discounts depending on certain circumstances as to who shops there or for certain items. So, sometimes the best way to get an item is to have a character who has access to a discount be the one who shops, then trades it to the person you're trying to buy stuff for. We can discuss this after we deal with the reviews.

Howe's Notes: So I can talk, now? Yes, technically, Lucifer, Casval would for me appear as a Green unit because I support the Argelian army in this war. Of course, this is at this point 2 and half years before the other three campaigns, so he's not landed on Orobia yet. We WERE considering having him assist me with a mission, but we felt he'd be focused on the Cruibia objective.

As for Malsum, yes, Malsum doesn't seem as worshipped as Cydris or Gargec. Mainly because Malsum doesn't WANT to be worshipped. Cydris doesn't mind, but Malsum's an old dragon who just wants to keep to himself and as such isn't a frontline fighter. But apparently, he kicked a young Orobia's ass quite thoroughly, only stopping when someone convinced him to have a heart.

I suppose it's true, Nika seems quite loyal to his wife, but there seems to be something going on. Something that I'm not being told. But then again, Nika very clearly views me as cannon fodder that has insane luck and/or competence to get whatever task he needs done handled, so of course, he wouldn't tell me everything. Perhaps I need to keep proving myself to get more information.

Sulaiman: Moving on. Unfortunately, ZenoZen, he will NOT meet any of us for the first time until later. He might meet someone related to us, though.

As for you, Consort, glad to help you out with our world. We need to build it up as best as we can so fans know what to expect in our world. We have recently finished off not only the Ustrosi Thieves Guild, but the chapters for the classes and skills, including our base classes. Our next batch of updates for that should feature at least the Geography of Orobia, the history of Poswa, and the introduction of the Argelian Neo Crusaders. But please, make a list of what you want to know.

Howe: I'm just glad we managed to avoid needing to hit M for Mature. Dodged a bullet.

Janiya: I'm kind of more concerned about the map. Good gods, it's a hard map to keep track of EVERYTHING. It probably gives the _Fire Emblem_ veterans who crave a challenge something to drool over, though. Captain Howe, your moral compass may be a roulette wheel, but you actually can keep a challenge.

Sulaiman: Well, there is at least a couple people who are supposed to be the Camus archetype. In fact, he was the first playable character of this story: Kiral. His loyalty to the Imperial Royal family is unquestioned, and he is an honorable sort. However, he hasn't landed on Orobia just yet. But something about Nika says that he's playing a very dangerous game despite his own loyalty to his wife.

Howe: I should address Anna. Like her sisters, Anna is a merchant first and enjoys being a merchant. Unlike most Annas, my Anna is a major part of my story instead of an optional recruit. She expresses her thoughts, she gets involved, and, had I chosen her, she would be my right hand. But as a human, she has emotions and her own say in the story, she has moments where she puts her foot down with me, while she encourages me to let loose. I don't know who this Jake person she mentioned in her support with me is, but whoever Jake is, they are or were important to her. It's easy to say she's one of many Annas, but she's also her own woman. And I'm okay with that.

Janiya: Now then, Stitcher, we're glad you approve. You were one of the first to introduce a character that whose backstory makes him have almost as much impact on the world of _Night of Tales_ as the actual backstory characters. Of course Malsum would be considered.

Tawni's Notes: Sorry, I had to go do something. *Holds up her own copy of _Super Smash Bros. Ultimate_ * I guess I missed most of the chapter. Anyway, KazeNoKishiX, right? Glad to see that you liked the Argelian Emperor Consort's inner circle. You can't run an empire without having an inner circle or a council. But don't worry, I'm pretty sure we'll get you in contact with Imperium 7, soon, since I get one of their characters in the chapter after my upcoming one!

Anyway, the naval and land battles happening at the same time but over the course of HOURS is us being somewhat realistic. Because let's be fair, there's no way every battle of _Fire Emblem_ happens in a few minutes. Do you know how long some of these maps can take? But Anna is one of the few characters who can, within _Night of Tales'_ universe without special circumstances, break the fourth wall. She just doesn't do it often.

So you noticed that, too? In _Awakening_ and _Fates_ , Anna can only really support with the Avatar (although Tiki was given a support with Anna, too, she also has ones with Say'ri, Lucina, and Nah). It's not the case in _Night of Tales,_ though, since Anna's been apart of Howe's crew for a while.

As for _Dragalia Lost,_ our author haven't been able to play it. He has an iPhone 5c or 5s (just out of _Dragalia Lost's_ play range), and despite being due for one, he hasn't upgraded his phone in YEARS. He plans to, though.

Janiya's Notes: And this is before we even address the _Night of Lore_ reviews. We'll do that next chapter. Speaking of which, go to it! We have some _Super Smash Bros. Ultimate_ to play back at my family's castle. Dibs on Zelda when we unlock her!

Sulaiman: You will not beat my Ridley.

Janiya: So, I guess I'm Daisy when we get Peach!

Howe: Seriously? I'm the only one of us who plans to use a _Fire Emblem_ character? Okay. Farewell, Kingdom Rider92's subjects.


	23. Sulaiman Chapter 5: Darkness Releasing

Sulaiman's Notes: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to another installment of _Fire Emblem: Night of Tales_. I know it's quickly after the last one, but Princess Janiya forgot to check if the upload is complete. So, tell you all what: take your time with this, and we'll see you all AFTER we're finished with a couple rounds of _Super Smash Bros. Ultimate._

...When he comes out, our author will probably start using Joker as his main.

 _Summary: Sulaiman is sidetracked by his father asking for his help in repelling an Argelian scouting party. Eager to prove himself, Sulaiman and his group join the fight, but things get complicated when Sulaiman's inner darkness is called forth…._

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 **Sulaiman's Tale, Chapter 5: "Releasing the Darkness"**

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 **The Road to Ninawa—Three Days After the Battle in Menourish**

"Ready, young lady?" Barack asked, holding a practice spear.

"Ready, Sir Barack!" Rawiya grinned, holding one of her own. She then charged at him, clashing her lance with his own, the two engaging in a sparring match. Sulaiman, meanwhile, returned to camp with Ulfah with a freshly killed ibex and a sack of freshly caught mullet.

"Alright, tonight's menu is either ibex with a side of fried eggplants or mullet fillets with grilled zucchini," Sulaiman said as he put the game down. "Anyone want anything in particular?"

"Lord Sulaiman," Lamia chided, "didn't I say not to use your bow?"

"In battle," Sulaiman replied. "And it was Ulfah who did most of the hunting. I did the fishing. And now, I'm going to do the cooking."

"Oh thank the gods," Idris chuckled.

"You think that the royal family would have supply more food and gear for a trip like this," Duaa said. "How many times have we needed to scavenge for food?"

"It's hardly much of a bother for me, Duaa," Sulaiman insisted, snapping his fingers and summoning his hunting knife and a yellow apron that said, translated from Orobian to whatever language you're reading this in, "Please Do Not Disturb the Cook". "Besides, both Mother and Father wanted me to know how to survive on my own in the wild should I need to."

' _ **Not to mention the thrill of the hunt is the perfect way to vent,'**_ Dark Sulaiman added, not that anyone but Lamia could hear him while Sulaiman got to work preparing the food.

Sulaiman's group had traveled northeast after leaving Menourish. They were now on their way to Ninawa, the territory governed by Lady Ahkter. The gossipy governess would not mind the spare prince passing through her territory so long as she got a chance to question him for hours.

"Ah, more of the prince's cooking," Sakaki smiled while Sulaiman worked. "You know, I've always wondered… why do you cook?"

"Oh, that's easy," Sulaiman answered. "You're not the first assassin that has been hired to go after a member of the royal family, Sakaki. The very first assassination attempt on me happened when I was rather young. During a dinner, one of the chefs slipped small metal shavings into my food. Orichalcum."

"It was acquired from outside of Poswa since it's one of the few ores and metals that can't be harvested in our borders," Lamia added. "But still, it's poison to those with djinn blood. Lord Sulaiman very nearly died, and was sick for days, while Sultana Farah was, for the one time I ever saw, absolutely LIVID."

"Oh no," a male voice gasped. Sulaiman, Ebony, Lamia, Idris, Sakaki, and Barack all stopped what they were doing—which allowed Rawiya to get a hit on Barack, making him shoot a small look at her—and blinked. Everyone looked to see a slender yet muscular man with blue skin, pointed ears with a golden earring hanging off the right one, a hooked nose, a curly black beard, thick black eyebrows, black hair in a ponytail that was held by a golden bead, gold cuffs that had no symbols on them, dark blue pants with a red waistband, red shoes, and holding a box of tissues. "Poor Sula! How cruel can the writer be to have THAT be part of your tragic backstory!?" He then blew his nose.

' _ **Well, I completely forgot THIS man was a thing in our lives,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said, looking at Sulaiman. ' _ **You enjoy dealing with the marid, it's too early in this ridiculous adventure to spend time with Robin.'**_ He then faded away.

'(Really!?)' Sulaiman scowled.

"Robin!" Lamia beamed. She quickly composed herself, and with a blush, Lamia cleared her throat. "Robin… what a pleasant surprise to find Lord Aladdin's eccentric friend had, without warning, invited himself into our camp." She then silently squealed to herself, "(It's so good to see this powerful genie once more…!)"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lamia, I didn't mean to interrupt," Robin said. "You all continue, don't mind me."

"Okay," Lamia said.

"Wait, we're just going to ignore the fact that there is a blue genie in the camp?" Nail asked.

"It's something we didn't plan for," Lamia said, "but if he insists, we'll continue." Clearing her throat, she said, "Well, after the incident and Prince Sulaiman recovered, he got a little paranoid about… well, everyone but his family and myself. Especially the cooks. So he started sneaking into the kitchen on his own and started making his own meals. He refused to eat ANYTHING for a while that wasn't made by him. Even if it tasted TERRIBLE. About a week into this horrible ordeal, Sultana Farah finally took the stubborn younger prince aside, and showed him how to cook."

"I believe Mother's words were, 'So you stop torturing yourself and worrying all of us, little turtle'," Sulaiman added, with a small smile. He then turned back to the food, which had finished simmering. "Alright, here we are." After giving everyone plates, Sulaiman asked, "So, Robin… what brings you to this part of the desert?"

"Oh, just came back to Poswa after witnessing that crazy business back home in Cruibia," Robin said, snapping and showing a picture of Janiya, holding an icy rapier, facing off against an Ifrit armed with a wyrmslayer. "It was definitely a wild battle. Anyway, heard about the wedding, Sula. And I have to say…." He then snapped his fingers, and before anyone could say anything else, they were surrounded by several clones of Robin, all dressed in very festive outfits, and all cheering and Sulaiman was dressed in an all-white regal outfit. " **CONGRATULATIONS, SULLY!"**

"I'm sorry, but what's happening?" Ulfah questioned, looking at one of the Robin clones celebrating. "Thesin never did anything like this."

"Who's Thesin?" the Robin next to her asked.

"My genie girlfriend," Ulfah answered. "She's currently in a coma, but she'll hopefully be okay."

"Well, sweetheart, just sit down," Robin said, using his magic to have her and the others do just that. "Well, as we genies get older, our magic gets a LOT more powerful. Not counting hybrids like Sula, here, and his older brother and my good friend Al!" Looking around, he asked, "Speaking of which, where is Al?"

"Yes, Father, it seems Robin found Sulaiman and his entourage," a familiar voice said in a rather deadpan tone. The group looked as the Robin clones all disappeared save for the original (and Sulaiman returned to normal clothes), as Aladdin, Mecca, Qiana, and Haytham all walked up, alongside Cantara, a knight wearing bulky red and brown wyvern knight armor, and two wyverns. One was Yzet, and the other was a sky blue male wyvern that followed behind the new knight.

"Al, look who I found!" Robin said, pointing to Sulaiman.

"Father? Brother?" Sulaiman asked while the rest of his group bowed. "If I knew you all were out here, I would have better prepared."

"It's alright, son," Mecca said. "I heard rumors that you were repairing the town of Menourish, and I reasoned we'd run into you here on the road. Does your fiancée know about this delay?"

"The very first person I told," Sulaiman smiled. "Unfortunately, a ghoul attack happened on our travels, so we had reasoned someone intentionally tried to kill me without going through the challenge."

"Duke Zahar, no doubt, to get around the rules of Poswali politics," Aladdin frowned. "He couldn't have known about your route unless… we have a leak." The two wyvern knights briefly stiffened that did not go unnoticed by anyone, but it went uncommented upon.

"But for why we're here," Haytham said. "Since you're still a citizen of Poswa and a member of our army, Prince Sulaiman, you still can be conscripted into a mission. We're to eliminate a band of Argelian scouts who managed to sneak into our beloved country."

"Argelians?" Sulaiman questioned. "Someone should inform Duke Zahar of the leak in his defenses."

"Rumor is that they came in from the northeast, from Upril," Qiana elaborated. "Seeing as Upril is dealing with the occupation, and Prince Khai's… numerous children are being hunted down, and there's no contact from Prince Khai, King Baruti, or Princess Auset, we have to assume Upril has been defeated. Captain Haytham, we should perhaps not bother Sulaiman and his people with this mission… they're already late as is."

"Nonsense," Haytham said. "It's better to risk our spare prince so the heir is safe."

"You don't have to say it like that," Sulaiman said. "So, have these scouts' camp been found, yet?"

"Well, we now have a way to find it," Aladdin said, looking at Sulaiman, Sakaki, and Idris. Sulaiman looked at Ebony, and the hawk nodded before flying up and out. Sakaki, meanwhile, turned into his crow form and flew out into the sky. Idris then skulked off, followed by Ulfah. "This is kind of why I asked Sulaiman to be included on this mission, Lady Qiana. He has the best people for finding the enemy." He smiled at his brother, and said, "You were always the better hunter."

"You're just saying that," Sulaiman brushed off. "Besides, I'm glad to help my people."

"So that's your plan?" Mecca observed. "Improve your social standing so you don't have too many more problems? It's clever. How has it been going?"

"Can we talk a little over… there?" Sulaiman whispered, pointing to the side of the camp. Mecca, Aladdin, and Lamia all followed him. "Well, on the plus side, the people of Menourish appreciated my efforts. But I'm worried. And my ifrit side is being a little more…."

' _ **Vocal,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said, showing up.

"So, only we and Yasmin still know about you, right?" Aladdin questioned.

' _ **Obviously,'**_ Dark Sulaiman replied.

"And you somehow haven't tried to take over, yet?" Aladdin asked.

' _ **Because self-preservation,'**_ Dark Sulaiman answered. ' _ **As reluctant as I am to let him continue this rather tedious belief that he can get Poswa to accept us despite our status as the second born, he is arguably better suited playing these political games that I have no patience for, but I know will get us killed if we attempt to ignore them.'**_

"That would do it," Mecca said. "Duke Zahar would have a field day discovering you. We're all incredibly lucky your Mother managed to conquer hers long before you both were born. There's little doubt in my mind that he wouldn't have fought my marriage to her if he knew about ifrits'... inner darkness."

Ebony then flew back, landing on Sulaiman's arm. "What's wrong, Ebony?" Sulaiman asked, letting the falcon flap off of him. Ebony then pulled a green stone with claw marks out of his pouch. "A beaststone?"

"Not a mau's, though," Mecca said, looking at the stone. "Hmm… these marks are those of jackal claws."

"You recognize the marks, my sultan?" Haytham asked as he and Qiana came over.

"Oh, right, you weren't there when I fought my first jackal," Mecca chuckled. "Busy dealing with defending Tanuhah while I was in Ustros." He held it up, and explained, "Jackals are beastfolk capable of transforming into giant dogs. They're normally pack-oriented and seen either in Cruibia, Ustros, or Giuss. So what one is doing west, I don't know."

"Well, the duo I saw was a myrmidon and a jackal, and they were getting cornered by Argelians," Ulfah said as she, Idris, and Sakaki showed back up. "No doubt they're the scouts. We better get ready."

"I already figured out a plan," Sakaki smirked. "We lure them in, and Sultan Mecca and Aladdin come in and pincer them. They should be easy to rout after that."

"Robin," Aladdin requested, "go with my little brother. He could use a powerful marid like you."

"You got it, Al," Robin said. Aladdin then looked at the two wyvern knights. He pointed at the new one and their wyvern.

"You go as well, Vice Commander," he ordered. The knight nodded. "Cantara, you're with me."

"Yes, my prince," Cantara nodded, although there was a small coloring of pink on her face.

Several minutes later, Sulaiman's group, now joined by the two newcomers, found a set of ruins and saw the Argelians surrounding a pair. One was a female swordswoman with tanned skin about 18 panting heavily, wearing a golden chest plate over her short light blue dress that cut off above her knees, black leggings that hugged her hips, a gold circlet in her ponytail-clad light green hair, and a pair of glasses over her blue eyes, a pair of arm guards on her wrists and leg guards on her ankles, and an iron sword in her hands. The other was a male humanoid with black pointed dog ears sticking out of his white curly hair, wearing a gray shirt and black pants, and searching around with his nose and large brown eyes, his tail lowered.

The leader of the Argelians was a heavily armored man with brown hair and a beard holding a golden shield and wielding a golden sword, standing next to a jann already on his carpet, and a cleric holding a Freeze staff. "You've put up a valiant chase, Princess Nerin Dagher. However, your guard has been slain, and all you have left is this vagrant. You're out of options. Surrender, now. Minister Abay would rather have you and the rest of your siblings alive to force your eldest brother, your aunt, your father, and your grandfather's surrender, but he understands that accidents CAN happen."

"Minister Abay is a monster," the woman, Nerin, growled. "How many innocent Uprilians have you slaughtered in his name!? In your murderous Empress' name, who slew my innocent grandmother!?" She held up her sword but was shaky with it. "Daif, did you find your stone, yet?"

"No," the jackal replied. "Sorry. I must have dropped it during our run."

"Well, that makes this slightly easier," the templar said. "Kill him, but if you can, take the princess alive."

"This is bad," Ulfah said. "That girl's an Uprilian princess?"

"Yes," Sulaiman said. "To much of the Uprilian royal family's displeasure, Crown Prince Khai has an inability to control his hormones. He has produced multiple, multiple children." He then looked at the templar. "Rafi, Robin, you two and I are going to try to stay away from that one if we can. That's a templar."

"A templar?" Rafi asked.

"Anti-magic soldiers," Lamia summarized. "Trained to use orichalcum to kill djinn and resist magical attacks."

"Good," Duaa smirked, holding her lance. "Then I'll have a challenge."

"Rawiya, remember what we've gone over," Barack advised.

"Right," Rawiya said, holding onto her own lance.

"Now, let's get their attention," Sakaki said. "At your command, Prince!"

"Understood," Sulaiman said. He looked at his bow, but couldn't aim without shaking. "Still not yet ready… Ulfah?"

"Don't worry, I've got you," Ulfah smiled. She took aim at an archer and grazed him with an arrow before he could react. He returned fire, but Duaa blocked with her shield.

"Ambush!" the templar leader called. "Attack!"

"Here they come!" Rawiya said, gripping her lance. "We hit and run?"

"Right," Sakaki nodded, flying back while Rafi and Ulfah opened fire upon their enemies with spells and arrows, respectively. A soldier growled, and tried to throw his javelin at them, but was distracted by the appearance of a blue genie.

"Selam dostum, nasılsın {Hi, buddy, how are you doing}?" Robin smirked. "Hayır, bekle, söyleme, tahmin edebilirim {No, wait, don't tell me, I can guess}." He then held up a hand, where an Ellight spell was ready. As the soldier flew threw the air, Robin finished, "Dokuz buluttasın {You're on cloud nine}!"

"Sanırım çok acı çekiyor, Robin {I think he's in a lot of pain, Robin}," Sulaiman said. Both then winced as the soldier landed.

"O da {That too}." Robin then had a purple and gold magic carpet form, got aboard it, and flew back whilst flinging light magic, which was blocked by the templar. "Sula, be careful of that templar!"

"I haven't forgotten!" Sulaiman called, summoning Taryn. "I'll check on the Argelians' targets, and grab them before we retreat! Nail, Duaa, Rawiya, and wyvern knight whose name I don't know, yet, back me up!"

"Already on it!" Nail grinned, throwing a hand ax into the archer Ulfah hit at the start before blocking another soldier's lance with his ax. The blue male wyvern then pounced on a cavalier's horse while the wyvern knight tackled the horseback rider, taking him down with the ax. During this, the wyvern knight lost their helmet, revealing a petite girl.

Rawiya and Duaa, having finished teaming up to take down an Argelian myrmidon, looked at the new girl, who was a brunette with pale skin, her hair tied to both sides of her head with white lace bandana and in a long braid with a white bow at the end, and emerald green eyes. The girl couldn't be more than 15. She grabbed her helmet and put it back on before climbing back onto the wyvern. She gently petted the wyvern and then flew after an incoming wyvern knight, taking him down before flying to the back.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman used Taryn to slash down a wyvern knight and got to Nerin and Daif. "Are you okay?"

"Who are you?" Nerin questioned, pointing her sword at Sulaiman. "Another set of attackers who want the honor of killing an Uprilian princess for themselves!?"

"No," Sulaiman replied. "I'm a Poswali prince. My name is Sulaiman."

"Prince… Sulaiman!?" Nerin gasped, lowering her sword. "Forgive me, I almost attacked you. I am, well, technically, Princess Nerin Dagher. My father is—"

"Prince Khai," Sulaiman said. "You have my sincere apologies to be rushing this, but we're kind of under attack, here."

"Oh, right, Argelians," Nerin said while Sulaiman, with Taryn's great strength, slashed away another wyvern knight. "What they say about Poswali swordsmen is true, I see… I guess I'll follow you out." She then looked at Daif, and said, "We should get out of here, Daif."

"I can't, I lost my beaststone somewhere," Daif pouted. Sulaiman pulled out the beaststone Ebony found and held it out. Daif immediately did a 180, and beamed, "My stone! Where did you find it!?"

"I didn't," Sulaiman replied. "But my falcon did." Daif took it and grinned. He then held it up before growling and hunching over, becoming a giant jackal.

" **Let's do this!"** Daif called.

"Actually, we're retreating," Sulaiman corrected. "Trust me, it'll make sense." He turned to run, only to see the templar cutting him off. "Well, this is unfortunate." He was then hit by the enemy cleric's freeze spell, keeping him in place. "And that just isn't fair."

"Prince Sulaiman?" the templar questioned. "You're not our target, today, but I'd have to be crazy to pass up capturing TWO Orobian royals. Especially one that Lady Kadri has become interested in."

"Lady… Kadri?" Sulaiman questioned. "I think I've heard that name before. What would the Argelian crown princess be interested in a lowly spare Poswali prince like me for?"

' _ **Perhaps she wants to hold us as a trophy or something demeaning,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said. ' _ **Or perhaps she wants to kill us herself.'**_

' _Well, whatever she wants, it'll have to wait,'_ Sulaiman replied.

"The hell I know, and I'm not paid enough to care." the templar said. "But I've heard stories that Poswa doesn't value your life. That's kind of a shame… Lady Kadri." He then blinked. "Wait… there's something about you. Something dark… ifrit blood." He then concentrated his shield, and Sulaiman flinched as the light shined on him, a purple aura surrounded him. "There is definitely darkness in you. You're too dangerous for the presence of Lady Kadri. I better snuff it, now, lest it spread." Sulaiman gritted his teeth while the jann next to the templar prepared a light spell.

" **GRAVE MISTAKE!"**

A wave of green mist shot out, slamming into the jann, knocking him briefly off his carpet. He got up in time to see Mecca walking into the battlefield, holding a smoldering green and purple Moorish sword. He then was approached by a myrmidon, but the myrmidon's sword was quickly blocked by Mecca's sword. Mecca then cut the myrmidon but passed by to help Sulaiman snap out of the stun.

"Are you alright?" Mecca asked.

"Get back here!" the myrmidon growled, holding the small wound. He then gasped as his skin started to pale and his face turned green.

"Witherbrand's steel is rather toxic," Mecca explained to the dying man. "Just a cut will be enough to fell a mortal human or dragon." He turned back to his son as the myrmidon collapsed, and asked once more, "Are you alright, son?"

"I'll be fine," Sulaiman said.

' _ **The hell you are,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said. ' _ **As an ifrit, you're more suspect to magic. Your constant heroics are going to be the death of us if you don't take out the enemy quick enough. Let me handle it.'**_

'(Are you insane!?)' Sulaiman questioned his dark self. '(Now you want to take over!?)'

' _ **Not take over,'**_ the ifrit replied. ' _ **But give you a fighting chance.'**_ Spotting a wyvern knight and an archer approaching, he smirked. ' _ **Go after the wyvern knight, and take them out. I'll handle the rest.'**_

'(Fine,)' Sulaiman said. The younger of the princes closed the gap between him and the wyvern knight, blocked the ax slice, and then countered with Taryn once again, slaying the wyvern and then the rider. Suddenly, Taryn floated out of Sulaiman's hands, and he saw his dark self holding it. "What are you up to?"

' _ **Borrowing this real quick,'**_ his dark self explained. The dark Sulaiman closed the distance between regular Sulaiman and the archer and then sliced him with Taryn. But rather than an earthquake, a plume of fire erupted. Sulaiman summoned his sword back to his side, alongside the archer's now free steel bow. ' _ **A compromise, light half. You let me invoke my wrath upon the enemy every once in a while, and I'll follow your lead.'**_

"What was that!?" Nerin asked as she and Daif followed Sulaiman. "And who is that man fighting the Argelians!?"

"Oh, that's my father, Sultan Mecca," Sulaiman said, looking back in time to see Mecca slash an archer. "And that sword he's using is Witherbrand… the first known weapon forged by Gargec and given to humans." Turning back to Nerin, he said, "Now, let's go. We have something to deal with." Looking at Lamia healing Rafi from a small burn he got from an enemy mage, he said, "How's everyone?"

"Doing alright, m'lord," Lamia said. "What's your father doing here?"

"He probably wanted in on the action," Robin said as he floated back. "That, and he probably realized there was a templar, something we can't really deal with well. Sula, how are you doing?"

"I'll be fine," Sulaiman said. He took down another archer before his dark self eliminated another archer. Nerin and Daif took down a couple enemies of their own while Barack joined the sultan, Duaa, and Rawiya on the battlefield, pushing back a few enemies. "Where are Sakaki, Idris, and Ulfah?"

"Coming back with some shiny trinkets, m'lord," Idris said as he, Sakaki, and Ulfah walked back. "We couldn't help ourselves and found some brigands going after some buried treasure. They have been dealt with?"

"Anything good?" Sulaiman asked.

"Oh, just this," Ulfah said, holding up a Master Seal and Arms Scroll. Idris held up a bullion and a Physic staff, which Lamia took and looked over. Sakaki, meanwhile, revealed a killing edge and steel.

"Not bad haul," Sulaiman said while Nail and the wyvern knight showed back up.

"What's the steel for?" the wyvern knight asked, looking at it out of curiosity.

"Oh, we can use it to reforge our weapons or gear," Sulaiman replied. "Now, out of curiosity, who are you, young lady?" The wyvern knight looked down. "Please, you can trust me."

"I kind of don't know if you will trust me and Ozymandias, though," the girl confessed, petting her wyvern. "Don't worry, Ozymandias… Mama's here."

"Alright." Sulaiman called, "Father! Sir Barack! Duaa! Rawiya! Let's go!"

"Very well," Mecca said. He then slashed the ground between him and the lead templar, creating a wall of gas. The Orobians used the opportunity to leave the ruins while the Argelians coughed.

"Get back here!" the templar leader growled. "Somebody get them!"

When Mecca and Sulaiman spotted Aladdin, he smirked at them. Sulaiman smiled back before clapping his hands and summoning a red and white tome while the rest of the Orobians crossed the threshold. The Argelians came out in time to see a massive spell circle forming beneath them. The templar leader barely got his shield up in time to endure the massive fiery explosion and save some of his men, including his cleric and jann. Not all of the Argelians were as lucky, but at least they died quickly. However, the handful of the survivors saw Aladdin walking towards them through the now glassed and burning desert, brandishing a silver scimitar.

"Loose!" Aladdin ordered. Several arrows and javelins flew out. The jann did NOT survive the arrows, but Aladdin and his troops, including Cantara, ignored him to go after the others. Sulaiman himself joined the battle, fighting alongside his brother and dark counterpart. Eventually, this attack reduced the Argelian's numbers, but the templar blocked both Sulaiman and Aladdin's swords.

"So the Poswali princes deploy tactics like this?" the templar questioned.

"Indeed," Aladdin said. "I wasn't expecting Father to get back into the fight so soon, but it still worked down to a tick."

"You'll pay for interfering with my mission, princelings!" the templar said, pushing them back off his shield. "I know you can't get around orichalcum! I can simply pin you down and watch you two burn!"

"You're right, we can't," Aladdin said, dismissing his sword. "But HE can."

"He?" the templar asked. He then heard a charging roar and looked to see Mecca running towards him. "Oh, you meant him!"

 _ **SHNNK!**_

Mecca's sword stabbed through his shield and embedded the tip into his chest, making the templar gasp. "By Rerci," Mecca smirked, "it's WAY too good to get these bones moving again."

"Kaptan Tansal {Captain Tansal}!" one of the Argelians called in horror. They dropped their weapons in surrender. Meanwhile, Mecca was approached by Qiana and Haytham.

"Your Majesty, that was incredibly reckless, charging in to protect your younger son!" Haytham chided. He then looked at his men, and called, "Make sure these Argelians are secured."

"I did what any good father did when I realized their leader was a templar," Mecca justified. "Protect my son." Sulaiman smiled at his father.

"He does have allies, though," Qiana said, making Sulaiman's smile fade, as well as Lamia's. Looking at Nerin and Daif, she said, "Now, what about you all…?"

"Oh!" Nerin gasped. "Right." She blushed, and said, "Well… I'm Princess Nerin Dagher of Upril. My father is Crown Prince Khai Ghannam."

"Oh gods," Haytham grumbled. "I forgot that the Uprilian crown prince was a womanizer with numerous illegitimate children."

"Captain Haytham, be polite," Sulaiman said. He looked at Nerin, and said, "By all means, Lady Nerin, continue."

"...Thank you," Nerin said. "I'm sorry. I'm not very ladylike, and I'm getting used to the whole 'warrior' thing." She cleared her throat, and said, "Anyway, with Upril on the verge of falling, my aunt, Princess Auset, ordered us children to be scattered and sent to seek assistance. However, my guards and I were barely able to find an Ustrosi band of jackals willing to help us. We crossed the border into Poswa, but not before we were found and pursued. My guards sacrificed themselves to let me escape… and I don't even know what happened to my dear little sister Arya, who was rumored to have come to Poswa."

"I'm sorry to hear all of that," Sulaiman said. "But I don't know any Aryas."

"Aw, that sucks," Daif said, scratching his head. "Sorry to have wasted your time, Nerin."

"It's alright, Daif," Nerin said. She then bowed her head to the Poswali royals. "Please… I beg of you! We of Upril need Poswali aide more than ever before!"

"Hold on," Haytham said. "What proof do you have that you're Uprilian royalty?"

"Proof…?" Nerin questioned.

"Captain," Lamia scowled. "You can't just ask a lady about things like that."

"I'm only acting in the protection of the sultan and the crown prince," Haytham replied. "It's no secret that the Uprilian's crown prince is a womanizer with multiple conquests, including manaketes and djinn. There is no telling who is and who isn't one of his coming from Upril. She could just be a vagrant naming one of the royal children to gain sympathy from you all. I admit Upril hasn't done anything to us, but I don't recall them doing anything FOR us, either." Turning back to Nerin, he said, "So, is there some kind of proof you have?"

"Actually," Nerin said, "I do… kind of have proof. The Uprilian royal family has this…." She removed one of her wrist guards, revealing a bright green and blue bracelet in the shape of a pair of hands joining together. "I believe you all recognize the symbol?"

"The green manakete and the blue djinn joining hands in harmony," Sulaiman said. "Upril has been known to house both tribes peacefully coexisting… and Upril's royal family are the only ones who know how to create it." Looking at Haytham, he said, "It's no burning stone birthmark of the Nejems, Captain Haytham, but it's good enough for me."

"Burning stone?" Nerin questioned. Sulaiman adjusted the collar of his shirt under the top of his armor to show her a birthmark in the shape of a rock on fire on his upper left pectoral. Aladdin rolled back his sleeve, showing the same mark in the middle of his right arm. Mecca himself had the mark on the left nape of his neck. "Whoa… I didn't see that coming."

"It's not a spot that normally is seen," Sulaiman said, fixing his shirt. "But my point stands, you're reasonably a princess of Upril."

"Unfortunately," Mecca said, "both Poswa and Cruibia are in the middle of securing a more permanent alliance." Looking at Sulaiman, he said, "My son is on his way to Cruibia, now."

"Then… perhaps I can come with you?" Nerin questioned, looking at Sulaiman. "Please, if helping Cruibia and Poswa helps Upril, then I'll gladly help!"

"Are you sure you wish to come?" Sulaiman asked. "I have enemies in Poswa's borders who don't care for Cruibia and honestly think they can defeat the empire by themselves…."

"Then I'll have to drag you to Cruibia, Prince Sulaiman," Nerin replied. "Upril needs your armies."

"I suppose I'll come with you, too," Daif said. "Ustros could use some sense smacked back into it."

"Well, I guess we'll have a couple new allies," Lamia shrugged.

"Don't ya mean 'four'?" Rawiya questioned, pointing to Robin and the brunette wyvern knight.

"Aw, I like this one," Robin smirked, rubbing Rawiya on her head, messing her hair up. The villager shot a playful smile back. Lamia beamed.

"Please tell me he's coming with us," the cleric whispered to Sulaiman.

"Of course, Lamia," Robin replied. "Al and I talked about it, and well, he decided the best way for me to pay him back for when he freed me all those years ago would be for me to help his little brother get to his wedding. I'm more than pleased to help Sula out!"

"Awesome!" Rafi smirked. "Not only did we get to fight alongside Prince Aladdin, but we even get a genie ally of his!"

"I'm standing right here," Sulaiman said.

"But what was that about her?" Ulfah asked, looking at the wyvern knight.

"...Lanayru, it's time you stop hiding," Aladdin said. The wyvern knight looked at her wyvern, and then at Aladdin.

"How did you know my real name?" the girl asked. "I never submitted my name when I joined the military."

"I have my sources," Aladdin replied. "Including the name of your father. Who knows? Maybe you joining my brother will get him to stop baring his fangs."

The wyvern knight sighed but took off her helmet. "Okay, Prince Aladdin… maybe you have a point. But I don't think Father will care." She then childishly added, "And call me 'Nayru'!"

"Wait, her 'father'?" Nail asked. He then blinked. "Oh gods, I know who she is, now. How many kids does Duke Zahar have?"

"Duke Zahar!?" Lamia asked. "You mean she's a Botros!?"

"Yep," Nayru smiled. I'm a Botros. And it's just me and my older brothers Zaid and Khalid." Petting her wyvern, she said, "And this is Ozymandias! Say 'hello', Ozymandias!" Ozymandias let out a happy cry.

"...She's incredibly cute," Nerin whispered.

Nayru then frowned as she looked at the Nejems. "I know my family and yours have had your disagreements, but I'm loyal to the Poswali royal family! My little Ozymandias and I ran from Kashab years ago. I'm just as skilled of a warrior as anyone, here! Let me have a chance to prove it to you."

' _ **This may end badly,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said as he appeared next to his light counterpart. ' _ **Bringing her with us may only make Duke Zahar double down on his efforts to destroy us. He may actually not send 'brigands' after us.'**_

"I don't know, ifrit," Lamia whispered. "Showing Lord Sulaiman be willing to befriend a member of House Botros despite their hostilities may strengthen your image and show you're not going to look down on anyone."

' _ **I think we should let my light half make this call.'**_

Sulaiman thought about it. He then sighed. "I hope to the gods I'm not going to come to regret this," he whispered. He looked at Nayru. "If you want to come with us, fine. However, as I said to Princess Nerin and Daif, the path we travel is dangerous. If possible, I'll try to avoid fighting your family. But the path of Poswali political games is not one to tread recklessly."

"Why would we be playing any political games?" Nayru questioned. Sulaiman raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right, Father, and there are some people who hate you. But I'm different! Like you, I'm a spare child… actually, I'm a third-born! AND I'm a girl! I have a LOT to prove!"

"Alright, alright, you've convinced me," Sulaiman said. "Welcome aboard." Turning back to his father and brother, he asked, "What will you all do about the Argelians?"

"Question them, of course," Aladdin said. "If we understand their movements, we can figure out what would be the best course of action to retaking the north once you hurry to Lady Yasmin's side."

"Right," Sulaiman said. "That reminds me, two things before I go. Ebony?" The hawk flew over to Sulaiman. "I'm going to soon write a letter to Lady Ahkter informing her that I'm coming her way so we can safely travel through her territory. I need you to be prepared to deliver it." The hawk cried. "I'll make sure you're rewarded." The hawk nodded. "As for the second, and more interesting one… Father, before you came into the battle, the lead templar said that Princess Kadri was interested in me specifically. Do either of you know what that's about?"

"Oh, that…." Aladdin said. "Well, that's a little embarrassing."

"Al, what's wrong?" Robin asked, dressed as an elderly woman. "It's okay, this is a safe place."

"Well," Aladdin admitted, "you all know that, months before the infamous raid on Nourdari which led to the Widowing Massacre, I was trying my hand as a diplomat in Argelia to work on a trade deal. I happened to have shown the Empress a picture of… well, YOU, Sulaiman."

"You what?" everyone questioned at him.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, but the Empress kept that picture," Aladdin said. "Anyway, I only mentioned you for a moment, that's all. But most likely, the picture ended up in the Argelian princess' hands. And, well, I guess she's picked out a trophy in the form of you as proof that Argelia's defeated Orobia."

"That was rather careless," Qiana pointed out.

"As I said, I never intended for my little brother to be targeted by the Argelians, specifically Princess Kadri," Aladdin said. "Perhaps we're interpreting it, wrong. But if we ever encounter her, we can ask what she's up to."

"Well, that's another mystery for another time," Lamia said. "Anyway, safe travels to Tanuhah, m'lord and my liege."

"And you all have a safe rest of your journey to Cruibia," Mecca replied. Sulaiman's group turned to walk away, but Cantara and Yzet looked at each other. Cantara frowned to herself.

"I'm still such a coward," Cantara whispered to herself. The two groups left each other, but Dark Sulaiman walked beside his light counterpart.

' _ **Well, that was a good stretch,'**_ the Dark Sulaiman said. ' _ **So, you think Aladdin is hiding something?'**_

' _We are NOT having this discussion right now,'_ Sulaiman replied.

' _ **But you can't help but worry about it,'**_ the ifrit spirit replied. ' _ **Worry that deep down, Aladdin tried to set us up with Princess Kadri, despite the fact that our and Yasmin's romance was budding. And for some reason, the Argelian princess leaped at this chance. Why would our brother do that?'**_

Lamia could no longer ignore the two Sulaimans silently arguing and fell back to whisper to them. "We will figure out what's going on later. But right now, you two need to, for the sake of our little army and perhaps the fate of Orobia, get along. I thought you two had a thing going on back there."

' _ **We do, don't we?'**_ Dark Sulaiman questioned his light half. ' _ **I do the damage, you point.'**_

"...Alright, fine," Sulaiman said. "Just behave yourself, and we'll address it, later. Thank you, Lamia."

"Not a problem," Lamia nodded.

After she walked ahead, Dark Sulaiman remarked, ' _ **I wonder how long we can continue trusting our retainers? Lamia hides it well, but even her patience dealing with us has limits. And if the others knew about me, well… that would be a problem.'**_

' _You want me to start doubting my allies?'_

' _ **That's the thing about sentient beings,'**_ the ifrit replied. ' _ **They can only be trusted for so long. But me? You can trust ME. After all, we have to trust each other… we're the only ones who can truly watch the other's back.'**_ He then faded away, leaving Sulaiman to himself and looking at the others.

* * *

Sulaiman's Notes: Well, that was something. That is the second Uprilian Princess introduced, and her jackal companion Daif.

 _ **Dark Sulaiman's Notes:**_ But also KazeNoKishiX's Robin's here, as is World's End34's Lanayru Botros.

Sulaiman: I've noticed. Now, for those of you confused, Robin Williams, my elder brother's marid friend, is based on the Genie from the Disney movie _Aladdin,_ who was voiced by the late Robin Williams. He is a rather silly ally, but I will not look a gift camel in the mouth. As for Lanayru, she was also a surprise. The author didn't expect to have another Botros, but he will not say "no" since we need allies to finish our quest.

 _ **Dark Sulaiman:**_ But now we also have to question Princess Kadri. What is in store for us that she has planned?

Tawni's Notes: Hey Sulaiman! Writing in the end notes, I see.

Sulaiman: Miss Tawni?

Janiya's Notes: So, are we going to hurry up these reviews so we can get back to me kicking your butts?

Howe's Notes: Maybe we should go slow. She keeps targeting me! Hm, how about we start with Consort? That's a bunch of long reviews. Huh, didn't actually know the collar WAS literally inside out.

Tawni: Well, I suppose defeating Mawdood WOULD cause the guild to self-destruct, and perhaps a redeeming replacement comes forth.

Idris' Notes: Thats what I've been trying to do!

Howe: As for Sheba, we all know she barely tolerates Mawdood. However, she's only still here because she knows she keeps the guild in line.

Janiya: Well, I have good news: the next time we do a _Night of Lore_ patch, the geography of Orobia is being addressed, including some major landmarks. But at the same time, we kind of have you to blame for the multiple hours of researching the classes of _Night of Tales,_ inventing and defining what skills everyone has.

Sulaiman: I admit, we went a little crosseyed doing all of that research. But I suppose that's what we get for building this from the ground up. Anyway, about Vengence... it kind of makes sense to make it a passive skill so Sorcerers can carry themselves better. But you also brought up something else: how weapon ranks work.

Janiya: And it's kind of simple. Now, as you know, the more often you use a type of weapon, the better version of a weapon you can wield. But there is a limit. A base class can only use a weapon to either Steel or Silver weapon rank, C or B, depending on their class. However, after they promote, they can get Brave weapons, A, or even Legendary Weapons, S. Of course, legendary weapons based on prior _Fire Emblem_ games require the use of Amiibo.

 **"Amiibo!"**

Tawni: Moving along, it was around here that we kind of were running out of ideas for class skills, but at least we found something. But I see you're interested in the rocs. I suppose we can talk about the various tribes as well, including the manaketes.

Howe: Gods, we have a LIST.

Tawni: Anyway, LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green! Yes, it seemed in-character for Commander Il-Hazaad to be annoyed by none other than my father. But we're Roma, we have to perform.

Janiya: I don't think you have to, but your dad definitely did.

Sulaiman: So, we're going to ignore the summoner returning?

Howe: What was the summoner from? _Heroes?_

Sulaiman: The summoner was a dark magic class first seen in _Sacred Stones,_ and last seen in _Radiant Dawn._ The _Heroes'_ summoner is a different individual, based on the Avatar archetype. They use staves, like Sorcerers, but what makes Sorcerers different from Summoners is that Sorcerers can still use anima magic, while Summoners can call forth creatures to fight alongside them but can only otherwise use dark magic in terms of offense.

Howe: Oh.

Sulaiman: Anyway, we thought about including Cydris, but we had too many god level manaketes already.

Janiya: Meanwhile I'm glad to know you enjoy making us suffer a little bit. Anyway, Wandering dude 1, don't worry. My big sister and Sulaiman's retainer are already on it.

Howe: Wait, we're trusting them to do this by themselves?

Sulaiman: I trust Yasmin and Lamia.

 _ **Dark Sulaiman:**_ That makes one of us.

Tawni: Stitcher, true, we probably could have had all three, and that would have been awesome. But we kind of plan to have all three meet up at least once in the story.

Sulaiman: And finally, ZenoZen, you took the words out of our mouths. It's almost been a month since Stan Lee left, but at least we know Marvel is in sort of good hands.

Janiya: Alright, that's everything we have ready. Next time, it'll be Tawni's turn to take the stage. Farewell, subjects!


	24. Tawni Chapter 5: Escape from Kashab

Tawni's Notes: Hey guys, Tawni again! I know, I know, you're tired of us "lords" just coming in and taking over these intros. But I just wanted to come in, and say "Happy Holidays" from us here in Orobia to you in your world. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Boxing Day, Wiladat Rerci like us here in Orobia, Winter Festival, or another holiday, just have a happy holiday.

This may be the last chapter of _Night of Tales_ this year. The author is working on _Mega Man Star Network,_ right now... or least he will be soon. He hopes to get it finished before New Year's Day. But Howe's will be most likely done before the end of the first week of the New Year. Do NOT quote me on that! So, having all of that, we hope you enjoy our last gift for the year.

Howe's Notes: Yeah, I'm still working on my next adventure. Now, if you all don't mind, Birthday Girl, we should get you started.

Tawni: Oh, right, the author did make it so that December 25th is oddly my birthday, like Rerci's... that's odd. Oh well, enjoy the chapter! Bye~

* * *

 _Summary: Tawni and her people have headed north towards the border of Poswa and Rusnad. However, Tawni is captured by the sons of Duke Zahar Botros, Zaid and Khaled. While the former prevents the latter from taking advantage of Tawni's vulnerability out of genuine interest in her, Tawni has to escape the Duke's Castle with the help of her caravan…._

* * *

 **Tawni's Tale, Chapter 5: "Escape from Kashab"**

* * *

 **The Road to Kashab—One Week After Battle in Menourish**

The caravan was several kilometers back from Tawni, Jamal, Kareem, Nasira, Node, Dobi, Himli, Sento, and Arya. Himli was looking around, nervous. Dobi was practicing his sword swings. Nasira was meditating. Arya and Kareem were tending to the camels. Tawni was thinking, holding Calypso, who was trying to nibble some herbs Tawni picked up.

Jamal broke the ice. "Himli, you're on edge a bit more than usual. Everything okay?"

Himli blinked and looked at the band of Romani. "Oh, um… well, I thought you all knew when you agreed to come scouting with me."

"Knew what, Himli?" Nasira questioned. "Please, enlighten us."

"Oh, right," Himli nervously chuckled. "I'm the only native Poswali, here." He then answered, "Well, it's just that I recently remembered that the border of Rusnad and Poswa is guarded by House Botros."

"House Botros?" Sento questioned. "Um… why is that bad?"

Himli elaborated by explaining, "It's bad because House Botros' men are incredibly strong soldiers, including Duke Zahar's sons, Zaid and Khaled! His oldest, Zaid, is a general who has crushed Argelian armies who have dared try to break his defenses to the point that Argelians would rather attempt to try to cross in from Upril! As for his younger son, Khaled is a twisted captain of Zahar's army, using whips to torture his victims he doesn't just cut to pieces with his sword and feed to his pet! And that's not even counting the duke himself, who fought hard against the Cruibians himself years ago back during Aseel's War as a great knight! There's no telling what they'll do to you all if we're caught trying to sneak across the border!"

"Oh," Tawni said for everyone before stuffing the herbs into her shirt. "So, we should try to AVOID being detected. Either that or ask nicely to be allowed to cross the border." Calypso pouted. "Calypso, no. I kind of want to have SOME poppy for later."

"You managed to find poppy?" Nasira asked. "It's a great sedative, painkiller, and stress killer. I bet it would do wonders on Himli!"

"Ask nicely?" Himli questioned, returning the conversation to the previous discussion.

"Well, regardless of HOW we get across the border," Tawni said, looking towards the large fortress-like city, "we NEED to get across. Himli, you want to save your sister. Jamal, Kareem, you're looking for clues about your mother. Arya, Node, Dobi, you probably want to check on Upril. Sento, Nasira… well, I can't exactly think of a reason right now, but you'll probably want to see northern Orobia. And, well, whatever secret Father is hiding from me, I'll only find the truth in Rusnad if the spirit that's been helping me is correct."

"And you plan to get our group across… by asking the notoriously deadly border guarding nobles nicely?" Himli asked.

"Well, you convinced me trying to fight them is suicide," Tawni smiled. "Best to put on my coyest, cutest smile and get them to let us pass."

"You know, our other option is telling them Arya is an Uprilian princess," Node offered. "Dobi and I can pretend to be her retainers, and we hired you all as mercenaries to fight the Argelians in a counterattack."

"No," Arya quickly replied.

"I agree," Dobi said. "We said we wouldn't expose Lady Arya's heritage."

Arya elaborated, "I was saying that, because if this city we're going to is really under the control of House Botros, then he may order us all killed out of paranoia once he knows who Tawni and I really are. I heard stories that he is the biggest critic of Prince Sulaiman Nejem. His experience in Aseel's War is well-known amongst Orobian nobility, and he DETESTS spare nobles. As for you, Miss Tawni, you're the lead entertainer at Prince Sulaiman and Princess Yasmin's wedding. If he finds out you plan to perform, you will be targeted by him."

"Then I won't mention it," Tawni said, pulling her picture of Sulaiman out, and handing it to Calypso. The rabbit nodded and hopped back towards the caravan. "Just so I don't get caught with the picture."

"I forgot you had that," Nasira giggled. "Alright, so, why did you really have us scout ahead, Tawni?" Everyone but Himli looked at Nasira.

"So we AREN'T just looking for guard patrols?" Himli questioned, still doing that.

"Sorry, Himli, but no," Tawni said. "I wanted to talk about Father without the rest of the caravan listening in, and you all are the people I trust the most."

"We're all here willing to listen, Tawni," Jamal assured her. "However… there's a chill in the air, here, every time I hear the rom baro being mentioned."

"What do you mean?" Kareem asked.

"I just have this gut feeling as soon as we really start addressing Tawni's father's past, we probably won't have a whole lot of time before we hit the border. And something tells me once we go, we're probably not going to be able to return to Poswa until we get to the truth, by which, we'll need to go through Upril. Are we sure we have all of our affairs in order? Any and all weapons and other gear we need?"

Tawni thought about it. She was sure they had stocked up between Menourish and now. "I think we're good," Tawni said. The gypsy then began, "If I remember correctly, Father mentioned both Mawdood and Nakia as people he was with back during Aseel's War during his famous raid of the manakete hamlet Niasge was from. Now, normally, I'd ignore something like this, but two things are kind of obvious. A Romani named Mawdood is the current Thief King with a grudge against Father, and if I overheard his talks with the elders correctly, Father seemed to know Lady Nakia, the queen of Rusnad. If Queen Nakia and Thief King Mawdood are the same people who ran with Father… then that means Father personally KNEW quite a few more major players in Orobia than Duke Kamyar and Duchess Etti of Cubes. Not to mention he's been dodgy about the Night of the Widowing Massacre."

"Uh… guys?" Himli said, looking over the horizon. "Miss Tawni, I hate to interrupt your moment of self-discovery, but we may want to get back to the caravan and warn the rom baro and everyone else."

"Of my pursuit of who my biological mother is and what secrets Father is hiding?" Tawni questioned.

"No, Tawni," Jamal said, looking at what Himli was seeing. "Of THAT!" The group of youths looked ahead, and Tawni gasped in horror as she saw… horses. As in, actual, honest-to-the-gods HORSES in the Orobian desert. Add in the yellow and red tattered armor and the pink lioness sigil, and it was clear who these riders were.

"Argelians," Arya gasped. Sento drew a steel sword that Guaril had given him (as apologies for stealing his sword to attack Niasge). Node summoned her magic carpet, while Dobi drew his own sword.

"We better get ready," Kareem said while Nasira prepared her tomes.

"Wait," Tawni said. "They're injured… and they're looking back?"

"Yeah," Himli said. "And… hey! Look there!"

"Huh?" Tawni questioned, looking at where Himli pointed to. Her eyes widened, realizing what it was. "They're about to run into a—!"

All of the sudden, when the riders rode over that spot, the horses whinnied in agony, throwing off their riders, allowing the band to get a better look at them.

One was a female mage wearing a tattered red and yellow sleeveless dress with a knee-length skirt, with rose red hair, green eyes, and lightly tanned skin, no more than 20 years old. Another was a heavily armored young man with dark red hair, brown eyes, thick red armor with odd yellow shoulder plates, a bright yellow shield, and a steel sword. The third and final person was a, heavily injured winged woman with large, brown wings, mid-back length brown hair in a ponytail, yellow eyes that closed when she passed out, wearing a yellow midriff-baring shirt and red leggings.

Their horses, however, were in worse shape thanks to the trap they set off. And by "worse shape", we mean they were either dead or dying.

"...Well, that was anticlimactic," Nasira observed. "What was that?"

"Caltrop trap," Himli grimaced. "And professionally made. House Botros must have hired a really good bounty hunter to make that."

"Well, less we have to fight," Dobi said, sheathing his sword.

"Thank Rerci, too," Node smiled, dismissing her rug. "That's a templar with them."

"Templar?" Nasira questioned.

"Anti-magic armored units, created specifically to deal with djinn after a particularly bad one spent hundreds of years giving us a bad name. They have orichalcum, which repels magic and can KILL djinn if exposed to us in large quantities."

"Oh," Nasira said. "Well, Tawni, should we still report it to your father?" She then looked at where Tawni was supposed to be, but instead saw an open spot. Also, Jamal and Kareem were gone. "Where did you all go?"

"Do you really want the answer to that question?" Sento replied. He then pointed to where the injured Argelians were, and the remaining youths saw Tawni, Jamal, and Kareem were approaching them, Tawni on Jamal's camel.

"Oh no," Himli breathed.

The two conscious Argelians looked at Tawni's trio approaching, and the templar gritted his teeth. "Öncelikle Botros ordusuna karşı cephedeki intihar misyonu, o zaman bizden sadece kesik kesiklerin bizi beklediği vurma tuzaklarına son vereceğiz {First a suicide mission on the front lines against the Botros' army, then we escape only to end up hitting traps where cutpurses await us}", he complained. "Tıpkı bu yarı-manakete otoyolu adamı gibi! {Just like that half-manakete highwayman!}" To Tawni, Kareem, and Jamal, he spat, "Anlayamayacağını biliyorum, ama senin için altın yok, hırsız {I know you won't understand, but we have no gold for you, thieves}!"

"Oh, çok iyi anlıyoruz {Oh, we understand very well}," Tawni smiled. "Bu tuzakları buraya koyanlardan değiliz {We're not the ones who put these traps, here, though}."

"Argelian konuşabiliyor musun {You can speak Argelian}?" the mage asked. "Lütfen bize merhamet et {Please have mercy on us!}" Looking at the winged girl, she said, "Kız arkadaşım Reyie burada son savaştaki oklarla hedeflenmişti ... tıbbi yardıma ihtiyacı var {My girlfriend Reyie here was targeted by arrows in the last battle... she needs medical attention}!"

"Lütfen Hace. Bunlar saçmalıklar {Please, Hace. These are cutthroats}," the templar scoffed. "Yakında merhamet, ona yardım etmekten çok sevgilini öldürür {They'd sooner mercy kill your lover than help her}." Tawni frowned but took out her dagger. "Görmek {See}?"

"Oh, tanrılar {Oh gods}!" Hace gasped. Tawni then knelt down and began cutting something. "Ha {Huh}?"

"Üzgünüm, ben ve sizler arasında birkaç ekstra tuzak var, bu biraz zaman alacak {I'm sorry, there are a few extra traps between me and you, this will take some time}," Tawni answered, working on the traps. "Jamal, Kareem, du-te înapoi la caravană și-l lăsa pe tată să știe că vom avea nevoie de personalul lui {Jamal, Kareem, go back to the caravan and let father know we're going to need his staff}."

"Da, fiica lui rom baro {Yes, rom baro's daughter}!" Kareem nodded. He then rode back. Jamal hesitated.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Jamal asked in Orobian.

"If something happens," Tawni smiled at Jamal, "I'll trust you, Kareem, Himli, and the others to come to save me." Jamal nodded, and then rode off as well, stopping to let the other know what was happening. Himli, Sento, Nasria, Arya, and Node all looked at Tawni in worry, but she waved them off. Tawni then resumed her work, working through the rest of the traps without setting them off.

"You have a good set of friends," Hace said in Orobian.

"Not friends," Tawni replied. "Suntem o familie {We're family}."

The templar questioned, "Poswa'da Romani mi {Romani in Poswa?}"

"Sadece geçiyoruz {We're just passing through}," Tawni smiled. "Ben Tawni Dighton. Ve sen, efendim şövalye {I am Tawni Dighton. And you are, sir knight}?"

"...Kizil," the templar replied while Tawni finished deactivating the traps. She then smirked, and reached out to him….

Only for a javelin to fly, landing between Tawni and Kizil. Both them and Hace looked up to see a pair of young men approaching, flanked by several Orobian cavaliers, mages, barbarians, mercenaries, knights, and a bounty hunter. The older of the two men was one with brown, wild hair in a short ponytail, light brown eyes, a thin mustache, and wearing thick red and brown armor of a Poswali general. The younger of the two leaders wore the lighter armor of a captain, but had neatly combed black hair, brown eyes, and was holding an armorslayer.

"...So," Tawni nervously smiled as she and the Argelians were surrounded, "how's everyone doing? Good day for a walk through the desert, right?"

"You know, when I had these traps put in place," the younger of the two leaders chuckled, "I was expecting to catch Argelians as a trial run to what would and wouldn't work for the spare prince when Father named me his champion in challenging him." Licking his lips as he approached her, he added, "But I will gladly catch a lovely gypsy." Tawni shuddered, taking a step back from him. However, she was roughly grabbed by him and forced to look at the captain. "Zaid, what do you think? Gypsies are quite exotic of a treat… and fiery, too. I love breaking that kind."

"Khaled, back off of her!" the general roared. The captain looked behind him in time to see an armored hand gripping his shoulder, and being forced to let go of Tawni, who fell backward but was caught by the general's hands. She then looked at him to see he had a gentler look on his face. With a bow after she was let go, he said, "I'm terribly sorry about my younger brother's lack of manners. He has very little understanding of how to properly treat a woman."

"Um, thank you for stopping him," Tawni commented. "Wait, are you all…? Zaid and Khaled, as in… Duke Zahar Botros' sons!?"

"So you've heard of my family?" Zaid smiled. "We're the guardians of northern Poswa."

"What are the odds that Himli would have predicted this?" Tawni observed. Composing herself, she curtsied before she said, "Well… Lord Zaid, was it? I was actually on my way to meet you and your father! You see, my clan and I actually kind of need to pass through your territory to go to Rusnad, and I was hoping for your permission to pass through safely…."

"Sadly, my lovely blue-haired songbird, that is not up to me," Zaid apologized. "Father decides everything that happens in Kashab. I can bring you to him, but I cannot promise anything." He then noticed something… some of his men moving to the surrendering Argelians, weapons pointed. "What are you all doing?"

"Preparing to execute the Argelians at your command, m'lord," a mercenary answered.

"Belay that order," Zaid answered. "I will not have this innocent young woman bare witness to such brutality. I wish to interrogate the Argelians about their army and movements, and could even use them to recover some of our men who were taken as prisoners-of-war. Sooner or later, Father and even the Sultan and the crown prince will be sick and tired of playing the defensive game, and we'll need to prepare to go on the offensive."

"What!?" Khaled questioned.

"Very well, m'lord," the mercenary said. "Hey, hunter! Tie them up!"

"You're not paying me, you don't get to order me around," the bounty hunter, a light blue, short braid-haired woman in her mid-20s with matching blue eyes and freckles wearing a light green shirt under a brown vest and black pants, said. However, she still walked forward and bound the Argelians. She also tied up Tawni.

"Hey!" Tawni frowned.

"Sorry, miss, I know by your hair, you're part Rusnadi, but I really shouldn't take any chances with a gypsy girl," the bounty hunter woman replied. Tawni pouted, but the woman just pushed her ahead.

Several minutes later, Guaril, Akiba, and the rest of the group came back to the location, only to find the footprints of Tawni, the Botros' army, and the Argelians. "And this was where she was before?" Akiba questioned.

"Yes," Himli said, looking at the tracks. "Oh no… maybe the Botros' have her!"

"...Well, we know where she'll be," Guaril scowled, looking at Kashab. The trickster began walking towards Kashab, a dark glare on his face. Akiba matched him, motioning her camel after her husband.

"Whoa, I've only seen the rom baro like THAT once!" Kareem grimaced.

"When was that?" Nasira asked.

"Oh, it was a long time ago," Jamal replied. "Tawni, back when she was just a little girl, had borrowed the rom baro's flute, and was playing it to earn some gold to get a teddy bear. Many people found her cute and paid. A group of especially arrogant Ustrosi came and pushed her down, 'confiscated' her gold and the flute, and threatened to chop her up if they caught her, again. She cried in my chest for a couple of hours, while the rom baro disappeared. He then came back with double the gold stolen from Tawni, his flute, the teddy bear Tawni wanted, as well as the two particular guards' TEETH. It was for a brief second, but I think I saw blood on his gloves."

"Oh," Himli said. "So… is NOW a bad time to say the entire Botros family has a weakness for beautiful young women?"

"Yes," Guaril answered, not even looking back. "Dacă dăunează părului capului fiicei mele ... le voi arăta ceea ce mentorul mi-a arătat sarea nobililor lui Nourdari{If they harm one hair on my daughter's head… I will show them what my mentor showed the salt of Nourdari's nobles}."

As the group of teens slowed followed, they noticed Kareem and Jamal completely stopped, sharing looks of horror. Node, however, asked, "Wait, who was Guaril's mentor?"

"Rumors are they were the Ustrosi Thief King, Cassim," Kareem answered. "And we all heard the stories."

"I haven't," Nasira and Sento interjected.

"We'll tell you on the way, then," Jamal said. He and Kareem grabbed Nasira and Himli respectively (while Node and Arya allowed Sento and Dobi on their respective mounts), whipped the reins of their camels, and rode off after Guaril and Akiba.

* * *

 **City of Kashab, Duke's Castle**

As Tawni was being led through the castle, she couldn't help but marvel at it. Various portraits of the Botros family, particularly whoever governed Kashab and whoever was the heir. Tawni could definitely tell who was the heir among her captors, given that Zaid was the one with the picture next to a brown, spiky-haired middle-aged man, thick beard, and bright red armor on an armored camel.

"So," Tawni asked to break the ice, "is that your father?"

"Yes," Zaid said. "Now, about him: you'll have to forgive his paranoia. Ever since he found out about Prince Sulaiman being engaged to the crown princess of Cruibia, he's become obsessed with the idea that Sulaiman plans to one day after the war overthrow Poswa with the backing of the Cruibian army."

"Why would he do that?" Tawni asked. Zaid missed her coy smile since he continued.

"During Aseel's War," he explained, "the Cruibian army led by King Darius is the ONLY invading army to have ever breached the walls of Tanuhah. Sure, there have been those who smuggled themselves in, but Darius led a direct assault and succeeded. If there's one man in all of Orobia who knows how to breach the capital, it's him. Add in Sulaiman's knowledge of any and all holes in Tanuhah's defense, and Father is convinced Sulaiman is already planning his future of ruling TWO countries with his bride."

"Father just needs to give me the okay," Khaled added. "I'm a much better swordsman than that spare prince. I can solve this problem single-handed, but some of our best can handle whatever allies he's convinced to support him!"

"This is not necessary, Khaled," Zaid said. "The real war is the one in front of us." Turning back to Tawni, he said, "Might I convince you to AVOID crossing the border? The Argelians are rather fierce combatants. Some might not even care that you're not even wearing the armor of a soldier. One of my scouts had reported the situation in Rusnad… a group of soldiers under the command of the Butcher of Nourdari brutally attacked an innocent village… only a handful of people survived."

"I disagreed with the Admiral," Kizil said in Orobian.

"Oh, so you CAN speak our language," Khaled noticed. "So I guess interrogating you won't be a complete waste of time."

"Right," Zaid said. "My dear Ranno, would you be so kind as to have the Argelian prisoners' wounds attended to, and then brought to the dungeon to await interrogation?"

"Fine," Ranno smirked, holding Reyie bridal style. "As long as you're footing the bill, 'Lord Botros'." She then directed the guards to follow her with the Argelians. Tawni frowned at seeing them go, but she noticed Zaid was starring with a small smile.

"I detest seeing her depart," he sighed, "but the way she does it…." He then said, "Now, come, my guest, if you're going to talk to Father, now would be the best time after he hears about our battle."

Several minutes later, Tawni found herself seated across the man from the portrait. She noticed a few other pictures, as well: one of Zaid, one of a sneering Khaled, and one of a young petite girl who would be a little younger than Arya with long brown hair tied to both sides of her head by white lace, and with a long braid down to her back with a cute bow at the end, wearing a red and brown dress.

"The battle was a success, Father," Zaid said with a bow. "The Argelians breaching the border wall thanks to the old dam have been routed. Anyone who didn't fall in the battle was captured. However, I suggest we do something about the dam on our side. If we're not careful, we run the risk of more Argelians using it to invade."

"We'll discuss it, later," Zahar said, brushing it off. Looking at Tawni, he asked, "What is this gypsy doing here?"

"We found her after the battle," Zaid answered. "She requested an audience with you."

"And you… indulged her?" Zahar questioned.

"Oh Father, don't pretend she's not beautiful," Khaled chuckled.

"...Make your case, gypsy," Zahar said.

"Right," Tawni said. Clearing her throat, she said, "Duke Zahar, I am Tawni Dighton, daughter of rom baro Guaril Dighton. My people and I, for our reasons, need to travel through your lands and head north to Rusnad. I understand from a friend, though, that you're not a man to be trifled with, so instead of sneaking, I hoped to approach you and ask in person."

"Whoever told you that is a smart person," Zahar smirked. That smirk was short lived. "However, I've heard of you and your father. Guaril Dighton is both a dangerous gypsy and a wanted man if the Ustrosi Thieves Guild's bounty is true. And you're not very far along, yourself."

"How did you—!?"

"Know about the bounty upon your father and yourself?" Zahar finished, showing the wanted posters of Tawni and her father. "Let's just say I have kept tabs on the Ustrosi Thieves Guild's ambitions for some time, now. Not to mention that I KNOW Guaril's feats, including how he tricked a group of human-eating manaketes. And I heard that you had a hand in defeating Niasge and destroying the secret slave operation in Poswa. I have eyes all over Poswa: nothing happens without me knowing it."

"...So, what happens, now?" Tawni questioned.

"What happens now is that I have you," Zahar answered. "Your Thieves Guild bounty is rather insignificant to me, no matter the price on your head. But your father is too much of a wild card that's been in play for too long. He could get in the way of my house's move against Prince Sulaiman Nejem. For the sake of Poswa's future, your father has to be removed from the board before he decides to support the spare prince's bid for the throne."

"Bid for the throne?" Tawni asked.

"As long as Prince Sulaiman still breathes and is not technically exiled," Zaid said, "both he and his future children have a right to the Poswali throne should something happen to Crown Prince Aladdin." He sighed, "Unfortunately, these successions only happen if something happens to the crown prince. Father thinks that Sulaiman is playing a long game."

"He already has the best answer to this," Khaled boasted to Tawni. "Me. We as a noble house have the right to challenge the royal family's critical decision the moment he leaves Tanuhah."

"And by 'challenge'," Tawni concluded, "you mean to fight him to the death? With all due respect, gentlemen, Poswali politics are dark."

"Regrettable, but this is how our nation does things," Zaid admitted. "But I think my little brother is getting ahead of himself. There are some in Poswa who support Father's disagreement that Prince Sulaiman and Princess Yasmin of Cruibia should wed. I've heard rumors that Ghayth Qadar is one of the most vocal and has greatly committed to increasing his swordsmanship training. Perhaps said rumors that he himself fancies the Cruibian crown princess and is prepared to accept the honor of securing the princess' hand himself are true."

"Enough," Zahar said. "Boys, I leave the castle in your hands for monitoring a certain situation. As for the gypsy, do whatever you please with her, Zaid, as a reward for your efforts in defeating the Argelians. Khaled, I need you to make sure you don't screw up and increase the security of the castle. If there is even a shadow that resembles Guaril, I want his head on a pike. You're dismissed, boys."

"Yes, Father," Zaid said with a bow.

"As you wish, Father," Khaled agreed, gritting his teeth in jealousy while Zahar walked out. As soon as he was certain his father was out of earshot, he snapped at Zaid, "I don't get why YOU'RE the one granted the gypsy. Father never lets me have ANYTHING!"

"Her name is Tawni," Zaid said, gently extending a hand to Tawni. Despite her apparent worry for her father (it was more of an act, really), she took it and stood up. "And you know quite well why he doesn't let you specifically 'have' anyone." He then turned to Tawni, and apologized, "I'm sorry about Father… and the fact that my house is now your caravan's enemy."

"Must you hurt Father and my friends?" Tawni asked. "You could let us go? I mean, what's one small band of Roma passing through to the dangerous north?"

"You could possibly pass a message out of spite to Prince Sulaiman letting him know I plan to come for him," Khaled replied.

"I'm afraid I must cut this short," Zaid interjected. He spotted an incoming servant, and said, "Would you kindly escort Miss Dighton here to the dungeons… oh, and make sure she's comfortable." Tawni frowned at being led away but then shot a small smile to Zaid.

'(If I'm going to be stuck here until Father figures out a plan to break me out,)' Tawni mused, '(I may as well try to crack the walls a little.)'

* * *

 **Duke's Castle Dungeon**

"Well, your future duke certainly spoils," the young gypsy girl said as she looked around her gilded cage. Although there was a guard posted in front of her room, the "dungeon" she was in was actually a small prison suite with plenty of comforts. The maid next to her finished tidying up.

"Well, Lord Zaid may be formidable in battle, but he's a rather nice man outside of it and has a thing for bluenettes," the servant said. Tawni giggled, twirling a bit of her hair. "Now, fair warning, young lady: just because Lord Zaid likes you doesn't mean you can get out easily."

"Aw, that stinks," Tawni frowned. "I mean, it would be safer for EVERYONE if you all just let me go. I'm sure I can convince Father to just move on."

"I'm afraid that won't happen," a male voice said. The two looked to see Khaled at the door. "If Father says your father dies, he dies. As long as it gets me my recognition, I'll hunt your thief dad down myself." He then approached Tawni, leaning rather close for comfort. "Of course, though, I could be… persuaded to 'pretend' to kill him." He looked towards the bed in the room.

"Doamne, crezi că sunt o fată {Oh gods, you think I'm that kind of girl}," Tawni muttered. "I'm sure you're very… experienced, but most Romani girls aren't THAT easy or eager without the proper ceremonies."

"...What?" Khaled questioned. Tawni coyly smirked.

"Romani women typically save themselves for marriage," she explained. "And I doubt your daddy would approve of you getting a ring. Your elder brother, on the other hand, well… he's been a gentleman throughout this entire experience, while you've been terrorizing poor, defenseless me. If I was to pick, it would easily be him. But alas, I kind of have a betrothed, already."

"Who's this man?" Khaled questioned.

'(Don't think I haven't noticed, Jamal,)' Tawni thought to herself with a smile. "His name's Jamal. He's been my best friend for YEARS, and he's incredibly sweet. Father's just never told him, yet."

"Then perhaps I'll have a talk with him," Khaled smirked. "After all, I've never been one for petty little traditions…."

"Brother, that is enough." The two looked to see Zaid here. "Let the gypsy go."

"I'm surprised you weren't already down here enjoying her."

"You're awful, little brother, assuming that I don't have standards," Zaid scowled. "You will not harass this young lady again. Now, return to your patrols and then head to bed." Khaled growled and then walked out. "I'm incredibly sorry about him, Miss Dighton."

"You know, he reminds me of too many stories of violent nobles after young innocent maidens," Tawni said, sitting on the bed.

"Really?" Zaid asked. "You wouldn't mind telling me, would you? I'm sure a well-traveled lady like yourself has some fascinating tales." Tawni smiled.

'(You know, he's kind of cute… almost like a puppy.)' She then cleared her throat. "Well, I have plenty of tales. The one I'm thinking of begins on a continent known as Magvel, the Land of the Sacred Stones…."

* * *

 **Several Days Later….**

"...And so, the tactician was once more reunited with the young lord, truly a miracle from Naga!" Tawni finished her latest tale while making tea.

"That was a fascinating tale, Miss Tawni," Zaid said, trying to suppress a yawn. "By Rerci, how long have I been here?"

"Oh, just a few hours this evening," Tawni answered, looking at the nearby clepsydra she set up. As she did, she turned around to Zaid and saw he was barely away. "You look rather tired, m'lord. Was it my story?"

"No, your stories are wonderful," Zaid assured her. He took a few sips of his tea. "Keeping peace in the region and keeping track of the Argelians' movements is exhausting. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the only sane member of my family. Father, had he his own way, would ignore the Argelians to send our troops to march on Tanuhah and demand the sultan hand over his second-born son for an overdue execution on the grounds of preventing a civil war since crown prince Aladdin had reached the proper age to rule without a regent. Khaled is… well, had I not been here, Khaled would continue to try to have his way with you, like he does any woman he can get his claws on. And my little sister, Lanayru, ran off nearly five years ago. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm more mischievous than a couple of the elders of my caravan would like," Tawni said. "But Father likes me having a strong personality, and he kind of wants me to be the leader when he retires. I have a bit of growing up to do, first, though. And some questions I want to answer that are in Rusnad."

"There's no shame in admitting your faults," Zaid commented. He then yawned. "And there's no shame about a bold personality. Between your enticing stories, your bombastic approach to life, and your blue-haired beauty, I can find myself falling for you…." Tawni giggled with a blush.

"My my, m'lord," Tawni teased, "you're quite the charmer to your prisoners. But alas, I kind of have eyes for someone else. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone."

"Perhaps I will," Zaid yawned. "By Rerci… I'm more tired than I… than I thought…." He then closed his eyes and dozed off. The young gypsy then, albeit with a struggle, picked him up and placed him on the bed, looking at the teacups that had poppy leaves on the bottom. She then kissed his forehead.

"Să dormi bine, dle Zaid {Sleep well, Lord Zaid}," she smiled. "Și vis de femei cu părul albastru Rusnadi. Sau prințese din Outrealms, alegerea ta {And dream of blue-haired Rusnadi women. Or princesses from the Outrealms, your pick}."

She then grabbed the keys from his person, snuck out of the room, and, making sure nobody else was watching, locked the door. She then stopped herself to think.

'(Wait… I know Father is inevitable for his break-in, but who else would he bring along? I don't think a group larger than six would be wise for a stealth mission, and I don't think too many mounted forces would be okay, here. That means, not counting Father, I'll have Himli, Dobi, Node, Nasira, and Sento are probably going to be my would-be rescuers. I hope they're going to be okay….)' She then looked around, and mused, '(But to boost my chances, I best recruit my own army. I know just the people to ask.)' She then heard footsteps and quickly hid. '(Best be careful, Tawni… the guards are probably on their patrol, and until you find your gear, you're defenseless.)'

In the many days of being held prisoner in the duke's castle, Tawni, using her astral projection, had figured out the patrols enough to at least know how to avoid them. She hid behind a wall, and projected her spirit once more to scout around, even finding Khaled and Ranno (who were both thankfully on opposite sides). Sadly, there were a few mages, explorers, and mercenaries, but at least she found the Argelians, and a group of treasure chests, as well as seeing her father and his group already snuck in. While it was POSSIBLE she could get to her father and leave without the Argelians, it was more probable of an escape with their assistance.

Tawni, after returning to her body, snuck through the castle, avoiding any and all guards. She then snuck into the room she found that housed the Argelians. "İşte burdasın {There you are}," the gypsy smirked.

"Kimsin {Who are you}?" the winged woman, Reyie if Tawni's memory served her, questioned.

"Sana bahsettiğim çingene kızı, Reyie {The gypsy girl I told you about, Reyie}!" Hace beamed. "Ve çoğu çingeneler de baştan çıkarma ve hırsızlık gibi hırsızlık becerilerinde eğitildiğinden, bu Cydris'e teşekkürler demek, buradan çıkıyoruz {And since most gypsies are also trained in seduction and thief skills like lockpicking, that means thank Cydris, we're getting out of here}!"

Tawni shushed her. She looked around, making sure not a single guard heard that. She then silently explained, "Bir, lütfen sesini kapalı tut. İki, hepinize bir teklifim var. Eğer Poswali-Rusnadi sınırını geçene kadar kaçmak için birlikte çalışacağımızı kabul ederseniz ve benimle ve Romancımla çalışmak istemiyorsanız, birbirimizi barış içinde bırakmayı kabul ediyoruz, size bir şey vermeyeceğim diye sordu. Bu kapılar açık olduğunda birbirlerine ihanet olmayacak {One, please keep your voice down. Two, I have a proposition for you all. If you agree we work together to escape until we are well past the Poswali-Rusnadi border and we agree to leave each other in peace if you don't want to work with me and my fellow Romani, I will let you out, no questions asked. There will be no betraying each other once these doors are open}." She extended a hand to Kizil. "Anlaştık mı {Do we have a deal}?"

"Bizi daha önce arkadan bıçaklamayı planlamadığını nereden biliyoruz {How do we know you're not already planning to stab us in the back}?" Kizil questioned.

Tawni said, in Orobian, "Well, Lord Zaid is currently passed out on poppy spiked tea in what was my room, my Dad's here, and I happened to have overheard about your apparent breach into Poswa via the dam, and I have an idea of where your gear is. I could get my stuff and leave, but I still wish to help you all. This war hurts all of us." Kizil genuinely frowned, realizing she was sincere. Tawni felt his hand clasp her and shake it.

"Alright, you have a deal, gypsy," he said. "Get us out of here, and we'll fight for you." Tawni then picked the locks, and all three stepped out, Reyie stretching her wings.

"The caged bird is finally free!" Reyie smiled. She was then shushed by Kizil and Tawni. "Sorry."

Tawni snuck to the treasure chests, and opened them, getting her steel dagger and vulneraries back, before handing Hace her Elfire tome, Kizil his steel sword, and holding out a blue stone with a wing on it. Hace explained, "That's Reyie's wingstone. With it, she can turn into a falcon, a fast and strong striker. Just as long as she avoids arrows."

"Right, fliers don't exactly have the best track record for surviving arrow attacks," Tawni reasoned, handing the wingstone to Reyie. "So, follow me, I know where to go. But we may have to do a little fighting."

"In that case, you tell me where to go, I'll lead," Kizil said. Tawni pointed ahead, and Kizil followed Tawni's instructions.

Meanwhile, Guaril's group looked at the trickster rummaging through his things. "Here it is," he said. He then pulled out a strange staff, and cast a spell. "This will allow us to better see in this dungeon."

"A torch staff?" Sento asked. "Wow, I didn't think those would be ever seen again outside of Tellius."

"We live in a desert continent that has plenty of ruins, mountains, and caves," Himli reminded him. "Although it's hot in the day, it gets cold at night. We would need something to keep us warm or allow us to see."

"...Fair enough," Sento agreed.

"So, where would Tawni be?" Nasira questioned, worried for her friend.

"My guess is somewhere deeper in," Dobi answered. "Node, be on the lookout for explorers. Their use of bows can be your downfall."

"Right," the jann said, floating on her carpet.

"We ought to be careful," Himli said. "The others may be causing a fuss outside, but any Poswali soldiers in here see us, they'll probably alert any guards left in the whole castle."

"Then we need to make sure that if we have to fight," Guaril said, "we better be able to quickly finish it. Let's move, kids."

While Guaril's band went quietly through the castle's dungeon, very quickly hiding to avoid tougher looking foes or taking down some foes that were rather weak-looking, Tawni's group was doing effectively the same. Tawni was kind of glad that she picked up Hace for her magic taking down knights she would otherwise have to astral thief magic from enemy mages to deal with (which would leave her body open to discovery), while Kizil could strike down said mages with his orichalcum blocking their magic and taking them down with help from Tawni. Reyie, meanwhile, was incredibly fast with her attacks, she was able to take out the mercenaries and even helped with the soldiers that were aided by Hace's spells.

But Tawni couldn't help herself to the treasure, eventually finding a Master Seal, an Energy Drop, a regular torch that she had Reyie hold, and a Magekiller Dagger, a short blade made of orichalcum. Eventually, Tawni unlocked another door, spotting her father on the other side, who had also been unable to curb his thieving instincts, given the gold that was now awkwardly placed in Himli's hands. "Tawni?" Guaril questioned. "Are you okay?"

"Bună, tati {Hi, Daddy}," Tawni said, looking down. "Îmi pare rău că m-am prins încercând să fac un lucru frumos. Voiam să îi ajut {I'm sorry I got myself captured trying to do a nice thing. I wanted to help them}." He hugged her.

"Îți voi da o limbă care-ți bate joc de nepăsare după ce plecăm de aici, domnișoară {I will give you a tongue lashing for your recklessness AFTER we get out of here, young lady}," Guaril said. He then added, "Dar pentru moment, mă bucur că ești în viață. Sa întâmplat ceva între momentul în care Botros v-a capturat și acum {But for now, I'm glad you're alive. Did anything happen between when the Botros' captured you and now}?"

Tawni listed, "Ei bine, ducele Zahar intenționează să conspire împotriva prințului Sulaiman din cauza nunții regale, fiul său mai tânăr, Khaled, a încercat să se forteze asupra mea, dar cel mai mare este un domn. Cu toate acestea, una cu o fascinație cu fetele cu părul albastru. Îi place poveștile mele. Oh, și m-am împrietenit cu tipii ăștia {Well, Duke Zahar is planning to conspire against Prince Sulaiman because of the royal wedding, his younger son Khaled tried to force himself upon me, but his eldest is a gentleman. Albeit one with a fascination with blue-haired maidens. He likes my stories. Oh, and I befriended these guys}." She pointed to the Argelians.

"Look, I know we're supposed to be quiet," Node said, "but can someone explain why the Argelians are out? And that you have an orichalcum dagger?"

"I needed help, they needed help, and we've agreed to work together to get out of here and through a hole in the dam," Tawni said. "Oh, and the dagger, I picked up."

"Ex-Sergeant Kizil of the Argelian Empire," Kizil introduced. "These two are what was left of my unit, Hace and Reyie."

"Miss Tawni, I hope these Argelians are friendly, at least until we get out of here," Himli said.

"We struck a deal, Himli," Tawni assured him. "Now, what about Jamal, Kareem, Arya, and Mother?"

"They're outside," Dobi assured her. "What about the Botros family?"

"Well, Lord Zaid is currently passed out on poppy tea," Tawni said, "Duke Zahar is out of town, and as long as we haven't set off too many alerts, I don't think Khaled and the Botros' bounty hunter will be out here, anytime soon.

"Alright, enough time wasted," Sento said. "We have to go."

"Right," Nasira said. "Join us, Argelians, as we make our most daring escape yet!"

"And I know how to make our escape all the better," Guaril said, looking at a damaged wall. "I have some doubts the Botros' keep up proper maintenance as long as their castle stands, but they keep quite a bit of stuff, if you're interested, Tawni. We take this wall down, we can try to pilfer it. Or we can leave. Your escape is our signal to get out of here ourselves, so it's up to you."

"Right," Kizil said. He turned to the wall and slammed into it. While that was happening, Tawni looked at the others.

"So, how's Calypso been?" she started.

"She has been good," Nasira said. "A little anxious, though."

"Well, of course, she's missing her Mommy," Tawni reasoned. "So, who's been watching her?"

"Jamal," Guaril admitted.

"Aw, that's sweet," Tawni gushed. She then focused, and said, "Well, let's get going." She looked at the wall and threw one of her daggers, and that was the final nail in the coffin for it, collapsing.

"What?" Kizil questioned.

"Sorry, I carry good daggers," Tawni said as she and her father squeezed by them. "Anybody who isn't comfortable being in this dungeon, take this moment to sneak out, now. We should hurry up."

"I'm staying with you, Tawni," Nasira said.

"And I'm coming, too," Sento said. "You might need an extra sword."

"And I just want to look around," Node added, grabbing Himli. "Dobi, can you handle getting our new friends out of here?"

"Wait, why am I coming?" Himli asked.

"Extra hands," Node admitted.

"I'll take care of it," Dobi nodded. "Come on, you lot."

"Thanks, guys," Tawni smiled. "Alright, let's get moving." Tawni and Guaril then snuck into the treasury, Sento, Nasira, Node, and Himli behind them while the others escaped. Tawni clung to the walls to avoid the guards, while Guaril kept a light for them with his torch staff. Eventually, the two Romani, after evading the knights, absconded with even more gold and even a bronze shield.

"What's that?" Nasira asked, looking at the shield now hanging from Tawni's back (before she gave it to Sento).

"Shields," Tawni answered. "While most knights come carrying them, carryable shields increase the carrier's durability. However, it weighs them down a little, so we should be careful when using it, and they wear down like anything else. Not to mention not just ANYONE can use a certain shield. For example, this one is a little heavy for the likes of me and probably you, Nasira, but Sento's strong enough to use it and not be weighed down too much. Are you, Sento?"

"No, not really," Sento said. "I bet Himli could use it, too."

"Me!?" Himli questioned. "I'm not that strong…."

"Himli, you do back-breaking labor on a daily basis," Sento replied. "Not to mention that you're getting up there in terms of strength."

"Alright, let's go before the guards find us," Tawni said. The Romani (as well as their picked up friends) then beat a hasty retreat.

* * *

 **Duke's Castle Exterior**

Tawni and her group emerged from the castle. "We did it! We escaped the duke's castle!" Tawni hugged Kareem and Jamal, before hugging Arya. "I missed you guys!" She then felt a nuzzle on her leg. She knelt down and embraced her rabbit. "Hi, Calypso. I'm back."

"If only because the duke himself chose to leave town for a little bit, because this rescue would have been borderline impossible without being far more bloody," Guaril said. "Look, my daughter, I understand you have a big heart. Very big. It reminds me of your biological mother. But sometimes, you need to understand that a task can be too risky for your own sake, and the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. It's a hard lesson to learn, but better that nobody you cared about was hurt. And also that Duke Zahar's elder son was protecting you."

"I know, and I'm sorry I didn't just come to report what we saw when we scouted," Tawni said. "But these people's lives would have been lost if not for me."

"Yes, I suppose we should rip that bandage off," Akiba said, looking at the Argelians. "So, you're the Argelian survivors that the kids talked about, yes?" Kizil nodded.

"Yes we are, ma'am," Kizil said. "We're heading back north through a hole in the dam. We heard from the rom baro's daughter she and the lot of you have business in Rusnad, yes?"

"Yes, we do," Akiba said.

"I'm not sure why a band of gypsies like you wants to risk your lives by going north to Rusnad, facing the Empire," Kizil said, "but let's be honest, here: we owe you our lives, and Admiral Ugur some payback. If you're going north to cause some trouble, we're going to come with you."

"I don't like this," Node frowned. "I mean, not even counting Argelia, but you're a templar. A genie killer."

"Let's not forget history," Kizil said.

"Relax, Node," Dobi said, standing in front of Node. "He tries anything, he answers to me."

"And if you try anything," Hace said, her magic glowing, causing Arya to grip her staff, "we're going to have a problem."

"Up, up, up, boys and girls," Tawni said, standing on Jamal's camel. "No fighting. We're all going north and trying to get fully away from House Botros. The least we can do is avoid fighting each other until we're at least across the border." Looking up at the sky, she said, "It's almost sunrise. Lord Zaid will probably wake up, soon, and he'll probably gather his people, and while he MAY be able to forgive me because he honestly can't blame the Roma girl for taking advantage of him falling asleep, his brother is a VERY eager swordsman. If we don't get across the border, soon, we may not get another chance."

"Can I have my camel back, Tawni?" Jamal asked.

"Oh, sorry," Tawni said. She then flipped off the camel. "But I think I've made my point. We have to go."

"Right," Akiba agreed. "Guaril, the caravan is already in town waiting for your orders."

"Let's gather them up," Guaril ordered. The others but Tawni began to head out, but Guaril turned to her with a smile. "That's how a rom baro should lead. Stopping fights and keeping the peace amongst our caravan."

"Thanks, Father," Tawni smiled. "I can be the adult when the situation calls for it." She and Guaril then headed after the others.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Whoo, finally got back control. How long this will last, I don't know. But yes, Tawni's birthday is December 25th. Janiya's birthday is February 2nd, Sulaiman's birthday is March 15th, and Howe's is June 21st. So, you all now know the birthdays of the Lords.

But yeah, recall in Sulaiman's fourth chapter, the Botros' were talking about a band of gypsies. That was actually the Dighton caravan who robbed them whilst breaking Tawni out. And yes, Zaid has a crush on Tawni. Remember that for later.

But yeah, Tawni gets three new recruits (with a fourth one hinted at). First is Kizil, the templar. Next is Hace, the mage. And the third is the falcon, Reyie. They are from Argelia. This will result in some minor tension, but Tawni can handle it and play mediator and peacemaker which is what the caravan is going to need to get through its next big challenge: getting into Rusnad.

Guaril gains the Torch staff, which is making its return and is useful for the fog-of-war maps. You've got to love the fact that he's also a thief, so he gets a bit more range in his vision. But this reintroduces a new piece of equipment: shields. Yes, they take up an inventory slot, and they can only be equipped by someone's strength stat, but they boost defense and/or resistance. Oh, and by default, knights, templars, generals, great knights, guardians, and crusaders carry shields.

Alright, that's everything but opening up the gift of reviews...

 **Consort:** Yeah, I kind of believe that there are some shopkeepers who would be willing to better serve certain characters than others. Similar to how in _Fates,_ whoever you have on shopkeeper duty in the armory (or if they are a healer, in the item shops) will offer discounts on weapons depending upon their highest ranked weapon. But I kind of do not remember Battle Before Dawn, I'm kind of not there, yet.

Yeah, odds are, Adre's smuggler stole one of those from Eirika's route.

I'm glad you really enjoyed that chapter. And now, onto part two.

I'm not going to lie: I had Mecca in this chapter solely because I wanted to show that he's a badass with his sword and that, deep down, he actually CARES about his son. Witherbrand is the oldest known Gargec weapon and one of my favorites because of how versatile it is (and it has been with the Nejem house for years, and Mecca LOVES his legendary swords). Gargec CAN turn off the poison whenever he pleases, just like how Darius can call forth and dismiss thunderstorms. But yeah, there are books for skills, there's a shop for it since you can't reclass to a whole other class type in _Night of Tales_.

Dark Sulaiman values his existence a bit too much to try to take over Sulaiman's body right in the middle of a war, so he instead has compromised. He's still a negative influence on Sulaiman, being more a jerk with a very hidden heart of gold who is paranoid about EVERYONE than a flat out antagonist.

The thing is, Kadri's got something up her sleeve. She's not truly antagonistic, but she is up to something and is interested in Sulaiman. But she is also working with Howe because he works for her good friend Sema.

Oh, I KNEW I forgot something around Halloween. While for everyone, there are random encounters of either ghouls, enemy soldiers (which you can, only as Howe at this point, recruit), brigands (same thing as Howe), and roaming mercenaries, the grinding DLC map would be called "Xenologue: Night of the Imprisoned". In this grinding DLC, you'd fight ghouls that fight suspiciously like human opponents... mainly because the ghouls were half-breed bound djinn who were sentenced to a fate worse than death of ghoulification by the ancient djinn tribes. These ghouls would just be wandering to a portal that would supposedly take them to the afterlife, but nothing's stopping them from being sent there by force by the army.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** Yep, Robin's there. Lamia has ODD tastes, and although she can be wound up, she admits some things are fun. Also, she knew him as a kid because she hung around Sulaiman and Aladdin as well.

Yeah, I like to change up the shop system a little bit so you can better manage your money, items, and understand that people have to actually LIKE the characters in-universe to get discounts. But Robin will be introduced to the princesses for the first time.

 **ZenoZen:** Sulaiman DOES have interesting moments, but then again, all of the lords do. Tawni just escaped being imprisoned for days, only her protection by Zaid keeping her safe from Khaled. And she's going to esape into Rusnad to find the truth of her mother.

Alright, hope you all have a great day! Farewell, my subjects!


	25. Howe Chapter 5: State of Emergency

A/N: I must apologize. Howe's chapter took FAR too long for my personal taste to write, and it just NOW getting uploaded at the end of the first month of the year.

Silver lining? I have a part-time job, now.

Now, when we're finished, here, I have a small announcement about the support chapter(s). So be sure to, in case you wish to know what's going on, get an update. With that said, let's get started!

 _Several months have passed since Howe and Sema took Nourdari. Their hunt for the Fire Emblem fragments and coordinates for the Eternal Forge is put on hold when Sema gets a critical message from Princess Kadri. Howe volunteers his group to go on foot into Ustrosi territory to deal with this._

* * *

 **Howe's Tale, Chapter 5: "State of Emergency"**

* * *

 **City of Kel Tibja, Palace Gates—Day After the Battle**

"Are you certain about this!?" Negim questioned the subordinate.

"Y-Yes," the jann said. "Nourdari was ambushed in a pincer attack. The Argelian captain, Aksoy, and the former helmsman of Captain Dilazak of Giuss' ship were the leaders of the attack. I barely escaped by the time the cannon tower fell, and Nourdari was lost. Rumors are that Captain Raita was killed in action."

"How convenient," the falcon knight said, looking away from the jann messenger. "...Guards, arrest this deserter."

"What!?" the jann asked as he was surrounded by guards. "I told you what happened and I'm treated like this!? I barely escaped Nourdari to report this tragedy with my life so you know to fortify the city, and I'm locked up for it!?"

"It's deserters like you that are the reason the king's family is all dead," the falcon knight justified. "You're lucky that I'm just going to have you locked up and given lashes instead of the death penalty that I would LIKE to enact for your cowardice instead of fighting to the last man like Ustrosi tradition." She turned to the guards, and said, "Get him out of my sight."

"It's insane leaders like you that don't know when to fold that are going to doom this nation!" the jann called as he was dragged away. Negim huffed. She then turned around, only to bump into the young king, who seemed rather tired.

"M'lord," she greeted. "I apologize for my rudeness. But I now must hurry and round up a strike force to reclaim your mother and late wife's birthplace."

"Don't bother, right now," Rifat said. "I need you and your people to defend me at nearly all waking hours."

"M'lord?" Negim questioned. Rifat's eyes gleamed as he held up the fragment in his hand. With a fierce yell, he then launched a beam of blue light into the sky. The light then split into several other beams that landed around the capital, forming a crystal barricade. "By Rerci, Mother wasn't kidding when she said 'That takes a lot out of you'."

"With all due respect, m'lord," Negim asked, "what the hell is this?"

"THIS is what I know the Argelians will be after," Rifat answered. "If they took Nourdari, it wasn't just for its port. No… the reason they killed Mother's friends Queen Minoo and Sultana Farah was that the Empress knew that Mother and her fellow queens, Minoo and Farah, as well as Duchess Ekin of Cruibia's city Cubes and the Earth Manakete Matriarch Adre, knew where the Eternal Forge is. Assuming Sultana Farah and Queen Minoo didn't tell them, then they only have one out of five parts of the map. But they'll still need the Fire Emblem, part of something I have around my neck. As the king of Ustros and Mother's sole son, I have a duty to protect it. But this barrier spell cannot protect me, but something around me. It's still a lot of energy that I have to give to make a barrier this big, though."

"And your mother was not the healthiest woman thanks to problems in Nourdari," Negim concluded.

"So the barrier isn't perfect," Rifat admitted. "So, as much as it pains me to let Nourdari go, I have no choice but to do so to protect my kingdom and my mother's mission as a guardian of the Fire Emblem. This will slow the Argelian Empire down until we can figure a way to get passed their armies. Or at least let the other nations get prepared. But in the meantime, there's a man I need to figure out: Sirius Howe."

"Howe?" Negim questioned. "Isn't that the helmsman of the _Dove,_ the ship reported having left your late wife to die?"

"Former helmsman," Rifat replied. "Now, he's an Argelian privateer… he led the naval attack. I don't know what he gets out of this, but he's not an opponent to take lightly. Keep that in mind, Lady Negim."

"He won't get within a hundred kilometers of you, milord," Negim swore.

* * *

Six months have passed since the invasion and conquering of the Ustrosi port town of Nourdari by the Argelian Empire, led by the pair of Sema Aksoy, a young Argelian noblewoman turned naval captain and admiralty candidate in control of the _Eccentric_ , and Sirius Howe, a Giussean helmsman turned pirate turned privateer for the empire in charge of the _Sabine_. The young king Rifat had grown both horrified and furious that Howe, who was previously reported to have been the helmsman of the ship who left his beloved wife and unborn son to die, also ordered the destruction of the statues placed up in honor of his mother and wife. He responded by activating his Fire Emblem fragment and cutting off Tel Kibja.

These two have, after leaving Nourdari in the hands of capable soldiers, mounted a joint naval campaign around Northern Orobia, winning battle after battle. The official story of this campaign is that Sema and Howe were trying to limit the naval capabilities of the Orobian nations. But in actuality, the rising captain and her privateer were on a quest to retrieve the coordinates of the Eternal Forge, the place where the Genie Dragon Rerci was living out her imprisonment.

But the two's quest to the western half of the Orobian nations, where two of the needed coordinates most likely were, was delayed by an announcement after a battle.

* * *

 **Uprilian-Rusnadi Waters—Deck of the** _ **Eccentric**_

"Well, that was quite the battle," Howe said, looking over at his _Sabine._ She had taken a few rounds, but she was being patched up by Sema's people. That said, she and the _Eccentric_ were better off than the Uprilian and Rusnadi ships they and the other Argelian ships sank. "So, Captain Aksoy, now that we've finally gotten a hole in the Rusnadi's blockade, what are your next orders?"

"You know, Sirius," Sema said, looking at Howe, "I'd like to actually think of us as friends rather than 'superior officer and privateer'."

"After all," Habai smiled, "that would prevent her from finally getting with you, Sirius."

"Habai!" Sema blushed. She cleared her throat, and said, "So far, Sirius, I don't exactly think we need to do anything too big for right now. We've managed to get through several battles, Nourdari has been great for refueling for the front lines, and we're almost ready to make a trip to the southern nations, just the _Eccentric_ and the _Sabine._ Also, Emperor Consort Nika has told me that I have built up a great amount of shore leave. I was thinking we take the ships in to get repaired, and then we have a little fun. Some places in Upril's coastline are now safely controlled by the Empire, so we shouldn't have too much trouble from the locals barring people don't start anything."

"Finally!" Anna cheered, standing alongside the rest of Howe's crew. "We get a break!"

"We've been at this for a little bit, and the _Sabine_ could use serious repairs from all the battles," Keyon said.

"And I haven't had a good drink in a while," Piper cheered.

"I feel we need to get our land legs back, anyway," Torio reasoned.

"Mine, too," Kairi said. "Girl's nights, ladies?"

"Absolutely!" Piper and Anna grinned.

"So it's agreed," Sema smiled. "We're taking a small holiday!" She then said, "Habai, I need you to go order our helmsman to take us in!"

"Understood," Habai said. She then walked off to do that.

"See you all later, dismissed," Sema smiled. She then walked away. "Ooh, I heard that Upril is lovely this time of year!"

"Well, she's happy," Howe said. "Alright, crew, back to the _Sabine._ I'll sail us in."

"Hey, Captain," Keyon said, "permission to speak to you in private at the helm?"

"Sure, Vice Captain," Howe said.

* * *

 _ **Sabine—**_ **Deck**

"So," Keyon questioned as Howe sailed, and Anna and Piper joined him, "what do you want to wish for?"

"...What?" Howe asked.

"Oh dear gods, please tell me you are NOT this stupid about Rerci," Keyon complained. "You've kept a lid on it for nearly half a year, but now that the Argelians are preoccupied with the idea of shore leave, we have opened up an opportunity for ourselves to discuss it."

"Why do you think I'm here to steal a wish from the Princess of the Argelian Empire?" Howe asked.

"Because who in their right mind WOULDN'T jump at the chance to have a reality warping wish?" Keyon accused. "And there's no way you'd be dumb enough to stick with Captain Aksoy if you didn't think you couldn't use her to get the coordinates, and you wouldn't stick with the Empire if you didn't think they had the best chances of securing the entire Fire Emblem. You're planning to betray them all the moment you get both the coordinates and the Fire Emblem within stealing distance. And I want in."

"That's a hell of a jump to conclusions, Keyon," Howe scowled.

"But a jump that at least has some merit, though," Anna said. "Howe, as much as we love your willingness to set things right, you're still human, and you still have ambitions. Like for example, I'm willing to bet you want to go back to THAT night. You want to completely undo all of this. You want to save the Orobian queens… to get rid of all the guilt you have."

"But Captain," Piper said, "that wish involves time travel. There could be consequences for using the wish to alter reality. As bad as things are between the kingdoms of Orobia and the Argelian Empire, now, things could be WORSE if you changed things."

"Piper," Keyon said, "you do realize how many people have, over the course of a few thousand years, fought, bled, killed, and died over the smallest chance Rerci can use Her great magic to virtually rewrite ALL of reality? I mean, we could become kings and queens, no, GODS. The smallest chance we're going to betray the Empire before it betrays us is why we're all still here, right?"

Before Howe could even interject, Adem walked over. "Captain Howe, we're going to make land in the town of Kiqin, soon."

"Good work, Adem," Howe said with a nod. Adem walked away. He turned to the rest of his allies from Giuss as soon as he was certain Adem was out of earshot. "Look, guys, I know you all want to know my plans about Rerci. But why should we risk ticking off the Empire that has been, all things considered, rather kind to us? Captain Aksoy knows I have never approved of the Widowing Massacre, yet she continues to have me serve as a part of her fleet. If she was probably any other officer the likes of Ugur, they would have hanged us and been done with it. I don't think she wants to cut me loose… not yet, at least."

"Mainly because she finds you easy on the eyes like Anna and I do," Piper said under her breath.

"What?" Howe questioned.

"What?" Piper asked, her cheeks pink. She then shook her head. "So, Captain, what you're saying here is that you're NOT really planning to betray the Argelians?"

"What I'm saying is that we're not in a position to even ATTEMPT to consider betraying the Argelians," Howe answered. "With us, this deep in Argelian politics and I'm not really sure about anyone's loyalty, here, I can't afford to be ambitious."

"That's a little disappointing," Anna said. "I mean, finding out that you're exactly trusting us to have your back."

Before they could discuss it any further, Vladimir called, "Land ho!"

Yildiz sighed, "About time!" Howe sighed in relief, having barely avoided such a poor topic. He then sailed them in towards Kiqin.

* * *

 **Kingdom of Upril, Town of Kiqin—3 Days Later**

Howe sat at the bar, silently contemplating his glass of ale. He watched several members of his crew have fun. Even Keyon took to drinking, while Adem was having a happy conversation with Kairi of all people. Howe, meanwhile, was waiting for something. Or rather, someone. He only ordered the ale in the meantime, since the tavern keeper made it clear that customers only were allowed to stay in the bar longer than fifteen minutes.

"Is this seat taken, sailor?" a male voice said. Howe looked to his right to see a large man with the olive skin of a Romani with graying black hair under a red turban, a red cape over a red and gold tunic and black pants. He had light brown eyes and a small smirk on his face.

"No, it's not," Howe said.

"That's where you're wrong," the man said. "It is, actually, taken. By myself." He then sat next to Howe. "You seem like a man of regrets, sailor."

"What makes you think I'm regretting something?" Howe asked.

"Because I've felt that pain too many times to not know what it looks like when hidden," the trickster replied. "I've tried hiding it, but it always surfaces. Sometimes at the worst moments. Other times, in private. So how does it surface for you? Nightmares of past sins? Angry drunk? You hear voices accusing you? Violence?"

"The first and third one," Howe answered. "What about you?"

"For me, prayer away from the rest of the caravan," the trickster said. "So, what was your big sin? Must be a hell of a sin if you're sitting here barely sipping your drink while the rest of your lot are trying to enjoy themselves."

"You ever unintentionally leave someone to die because of terrible orders, causing a six-nation war that, because of your country's neutrality, you can't do a damn thing to fix until you finally get tired of your captain's terrible orders?"

"I've had a bad acquaintance, practically a brother, who did HORRIBLE things that I had to either clean up or try to stop until I got exhausted of trying to curb his madness, so I cut off his hand and left him to die, but not before he kidnapped a group of innocent children, twisting one of them into a dangerous killer, and he's not quite dead," the trickster replied. "Does that count?"

"...I haven't even started drinking yet, and your story sounds WORSE than mine," Howe said. "But yeah, that counts."

"I have a few decades ahead of you, sailor," the trickster replied. "So, let me guess: Widowing Massacre."

"Yeah," Howe replied, looking down. "I… I was in the area. I wanted to help, but I was forced not to help. Nobody on Orobia would want me to help them, now, so I'm not helping them… instead, I'm helping their enemy. And now, I'm trapped in politics I barely can survive, I can barely count on half of my crew if push ever came to shove, I'm on a quest that can probably redraw reality as we know it, and I'm probably hallucinating you because of my PTSD. Does that make me a bad person, gypsy?"

"You're no worse than me, sailor." Howe looked at the trickster, who had a serious look. "You at least haven't truly felt a loss, yet. Romantic loss. Or at least, the loss of someone you actually CARE for."

"My grandfather, who raised me when I was young, died," Howe retorted.

"Of natural causes more likely than not," the tricker guessed. Howe blinked. "Whilst that stings, no doubt, that is an inevitable loss you had no control over. Believe you me: it tears something out of you. You're never the same after losing someone you feel for, and not just as a family member. That's why the Kings of Orobia are so agitated, so bitter… so jaded. Why they're willing to go up against the indomitable might of the Argelian Empire… they want to avenge the women they loved. Who accepted them and their faults.

"I mean, look at Pharoh Ammon… his father was a right dastard, and whilst he himself actually sort of pressured his late wife into marrying him, but she still loved him, realizing she did since childhood." A small tear slipped down his face before he continued. "Sultan Mecca was easily manipulated by his uncle, underestimated how personal the war in the south nearly 30 years ago was for King Darius, but he still charmed his way into Farah's heart. Speaking of King Darius, the King was, for all intents and purposes, a warmonger blinded by revenge, but Queen Minoo helped him see that he was hurting their home and needed to be a better king."

"You say that love drives men to do crazy things and can condemn them?" Howe questioned.

"And save them," the trickster replied before taking a drink of his own ale. "Love is NOT a weakness, no matter what some people think. You may be thought of as less by having a heart, but at least it proves that you CARE about people, even if they don't care about you." Howe watched as he got up. "When you find someone you truly love, sailor, hold onto them, as long as you can. Be prepared to fight for them. And don't be prepared to die for them. Be prepared to LIVE for them." He then walked away, saying, "Thanks for the drink." Howe then looked back, only to see his mug was completely empty. Howe would have gone after him, but he saw out the window a young girl, who couldn't be more than 14, with blue and black hair and wearing a red dress with a gold necklace and a purple gemstone in the middle, had walked up to the trickster and hugged him. She giggled as the tall trickster rubbed her head, and the two walked off.

"Was that Guaril Dighton?" a female voice asked. "I've heard of him on this continent." Howe looked up to see Sema, dressed in a yellow and red gown that hugged her figure.

"Guaril Dighton?" Howe questioned. "The infamous gypsy trickster?"

"Yes," Sema said. "They say he and his caravan came to Orobia from Argelia to escape persecution. Unfortunately, whilst I have Romani friends, not everyone in the Argelian Empire looks upon the Romani people with respect, and would prefer them wiped out. Same as genies, given how our empire was founded when genies tried to conquer our once small nation. Habai is given a lot more freedom and respect under my command than she would with others. But enough about that… are you okay, Sirius?"

"Just a little restless, is all," Howe answered, ordering a new drink, and one for Sema. "And worrying about things."

"I know," Sema said. "My father and brothers still want me to consider coming home, but I can't. Not until I complete my mission for Princess Kadri."

"You really care about the princess, don't you?"

"Of course," Sema smiled while Howe took a drink. "And not just her, though. Kadri and Ekin both have been the closest things to little sisters I've ever had. They're my best friends apart from Habai, who's been a retainer to House Aksoy for… Habai, how long have you been in my family's service?"

"About 200 years," Habai answered, appearing next to her, stealing Howe's drink.

"...I keep forgetting she's a genie," Howe said. Habai then felt a buzz. She then pulled out the astral plate, and looked at it, feeling its magic frequency.

"Captain Sema," Habai said with a frown, "I hate to interrupt your romance with Captain Sirius, but it's from the Princess. I think that's slightly more urgent."

"Princess Kadri?" Sema asked. "Put her on!" Sema then saw the Argelian princess, looking slightly flustered. With a small bow, she said, "Sorun nedir Lady Kadri [What is the problem, Lady Kadri]?"

" _Sema, Ekin Ustros'a kayboldu [Sema, Ekin has disappeared into Ustros]!"_ Kadri stammered. Sema and Habai gasped. " _Ona yakında çok kötü bir fikir olduğunu söyledim, ama o dinlemedi [I told her it was a bad idea so soon, but she wouldn't listen]!"_ Clapping her hands together and making her eyes seem even larger behind her glasses and giving an almost kitten like stare, she begged, " _Lütfen Sema! Kendini öldürmeden önce bir şeyler yapmalısın {Please, Sema! You have to do something before she gets herself killed}!"_

"Barışı sevdiğini biliyorum, senin gibi [I know she loves peace, like you]," Sema groaned, her hand to her face, "ama Ekin, acele etmeyi denemek için çok hevesli [but Ekin is too eager to hurry it along]!" She then turned to Howe, and explained, "Sirius, speaking of my friend Ekin, it seems she's in Ustros."

" _Your pirate boyfriend's here?"_ Kadri asked. As Sema blushed, Kadri turned to Howe and bowed to him. " _Captain Howe, I know this isn't up your alley and you have no real stake in my friendships, but I feel I should explain. You see, our friend Ekin, you met her right before the Battle of Nourdari, right?"_

"I recall that," Howe said. "Duke Abdil's daughter, right?" Kadri nodded. "So what made her come to Ustros? She knows it's an intense battle for the nation right now, right?"

" _She knows, but she has taken up becoming a diplomat,"_ Kadri explained. " _She wants to reopen negotiations like my mother tried to before this whole nightmare started. I told her that the Orobian nations are not exactly in the mood for peace talks, and to wait until we were in a better position for parley. But Ekin is impatient and eager for peace, and thinks she can negotiate Ustros standing down."_ With a blush, she added, " _She also has been kind of eager with our group tarot reading."_

"Group tarot reading… what are you talking about?" Howe asked. Sema blushed.

"Ah, Cydris ve Musa aşkı için {Oh for the love of Cydris and Musa}," Sema groaned. "She really believes that tarot reading?" She also noticed Kadri blushing deeper. "Oh, Lady Kadri, not you, too!"

" _Well, it has worked out quite nicely, for you… who knows? Maybe it will for me and Ekin."_ Kadri said.

"What tarot reading are you talking about?" Howe asked.

"Princess Kadri, Captain Sema, Lady Ekin, and their friend Princess Fumiko of Xuhua, as children, met an old gypsy fortune teller, who read them all a fortune that they would find their true loves in Orobia," Habai answered. "It's what led Princess Kadri, when, upon meeting Prince Aladdin three years ago when he came to Argelia to renegotiate trade agreements between Poswa and Argelia, to believe that her soulmate is somewhere upon this continent. And Ekin, most likely, is using her diplomacy skills as a means to also look for her own soulmate."

"Oh my gods, she's going to get herself killed looking for her love?" Howe groaned under his breath.

" _I know, right?"_ Kadri said. " _But I don't know who else to really turn to in order to convince her this is a silly suicide mission! She'll probably better listen to someone who has been on the front lines!"_

"I understand why you chose me," Sema said. "But unfortunately, Lady Kadri, my mission is not putting me anywhere NEAR Ustros' capital anytime, soon. We've only recently reached the edges of Upril with its navy, and we're trying to get into Poswa, with a foot mission through Rusnad being suicide! If I don't lead this mission, you won't have the coordinates to the you-know-where…." She then felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Captain Howe?"

Howe then smirked, "Well… someone else better go find her and talk some sense into her. And I guess while I wait for the upgrades to the _Sabine,_ I'm going stir crazy, here."

" _You'll help!?"_ Kadri asked, her eyes big behind her glasses. " _Oh, thank mew!"_ She then squeaked, covering her mouth. _"I meant 'you'!"_

"Does she normally speak like a cat?" Howe asked a concerned Sema. "It's kind of cute."

Habai quickly answered, "Back when Captain Sema had Princess Kadri over for playtime, I slipped some cat dialogue into my speech. I am a nasna genie with mau traits, after all. It just stuck with Lady Kadri."

"Okay, then," Howe said. "So, where was her last known location?"

" _I believe it was near a place called Tel Kibja, the Ustrosi capital,"_ a male voice spoke up. The Emperor Consort appeared on the screen. " _I'm sorry, Captain Howe, Captain Aksoy, I couldn't help but overhear my daughter's distress over her friend. And Duke Abdil had reported to me that his daughter took some of his men and her horse to Ustros. A sound move on paper. If she's convinced herself to play diplomat, what better place to start negotiations than the capital of Ustros? But unfortunately, in practice, it may fall flat… onto a bed of swords. If the Ustrosi king doesn't execute her outright, he'll hold her hostage to demand we pull out of Nourdari. This may call for an extraction."_

"Well, we better head back to Nourdari," Sema said, finishing her drink.

" _A negative on your part, Captain Aksoy,"_ Nika said. " _When you're finished with your shore leave, you still have YOUR mission. This one will be Captain Howe's."_

"Will all due respect, my lord," Sema protested, "Ekin's also my friend!"

" _And she will be rescued and returned to her father's arms by YOUR privateer, so you have some part involved,"_ Nika said. " _He's already volunteered for the mission, and I believe that he will not want to disappoint either you or Kadri by failing. Isn't that right, Captain Howe?"_

"Right," Howe said. "Trust me, Captain Aksoy. Lady Ekin is in good hands. I can handle a rescue mission inland."

"Wait, we're doing what?" Keyon asked, looking up from his drink.

* * *

 **Several Minutes of Sobering Up and Explanations, Later….**

"I can't believe you volunteered us for another big mission," Keyon groaned after Howe explained the mission.

"Well, we can't ignore this," Howe said.

"True," Keyon agreed. "This missing noblewoman's father is a part of the Emperor Consort's inner circle. We save her, not only will we get extra pay, but we could probably get closer to figuring a way out of this mess. Or even better, making ourselves a part of this inner circle."

"You had me at 'extra pay'," Anna grinned. "Alright, one duke's daughter, coming up!"

"I for one will gladly do this delicate of a mission to keep off the _Sabine_ for a while," Adem confessed. "We go into some rather reckless storms."

"Um, guys," Piper said. "I hate to break it to everyone, but I've been taking inventory. Our supplies are rathered drained. We need to either repair or buy new weapons, shields, and items before we even GO on this mission."

"Well," Anna smirked, "I have a few ideas for that." She then looked over at a near-identical stranger walking by. "Hey, Anna!"

"Anna is that you!?" the other Anna beamed. The two Annas hugged. "How've you been? You look great!"

"Really good, got an adventure going on," the crew's Anna said. She then turned to the others. "Everyone, meet my little sister and Secret Seller, Anna."

"Nice to meet you all," the new Anna winked. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Is anyone else just as confused as me or what?" Yildiz asked.

"Oh, that's simple," Howe said. Pointing to the crew's Anna, he explained, "Apparently, Anna's parents were incredibly bored, so they named all of their near-identical daughters 'Anna'. They are almost all money-obsessed merchants, some running well-hidden shops. And they have a connection to the Outrealms, so there's that."

"Pretty much, yeah, handsome," the new Anna admitted. "You and my sister get a discount. So, again, what are you buying?"

* * *

 **Uprilian-Ustros Border-Two Days Later**

While normally rough lands since the great quake of the fall of Un Nasa over a thousand years ago, the borderlands between Upril and Ustros did have some parts for flatlands. Such as the case where for the _Eccentric_ was landing.

"Alright," Howe said as he and his crew disembarked the _Eccentric_ (Sema insisted to Nika that she at least give Howe a ride), "I hate abandoning the _Sabine,_ but we have no choice but to sneak back into Ustros and make it inland." He looked at Sema. "So, we're to meet at Nourdari in how long?"

"We'll meet at Nourdari in three weeks," Sema said. "Be careful, Sirius. The fate of Ekin and House Abdil now rest in your hands. I'll make sure the _Sabine_ is safely brought to Nourdari."

"She and her father will have a happy reunion, soon," Howe smirked. "You can count on me."

Two hours later, the crew arrived close to the border. The cliffs and canyons caused by the great quake of the legendary battle between Sultana Anbara of Poswa and Sultan Shabaan of the fallen kingdom of Ugurbuh that destroyed the latter's kingdom. Whilst there was a way to go between the kingdoms of Upril and Ustros via the canyons, the most common route between them these days were a great stone bridge built between the two kingdoms two hundred and forty years ago. Small villages had taken the opportunity to become successful border towns and big trade hubs.

"So, what's the strategy, Captain Howe?" Yildiz questioned. "We infiltrate the capital, hope to find Lady Ekin, and maybe dethrone King Rifat?"

"The last part is highly ill-advised," Howe said.

"Definitely," Piper said. "If the stories that his mom was one of the Golden Valkyries is true, and she was one of those who had a Fire Emblem fragment… then that means she most likely gave it to her son. He will be hard-pressed to defeat should we have to face him."

"Captain," Vladimir said, "I sense a fog rolling in. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can see in fogs. Not to mention that I'm sensing hostile footsteps. Most likely, Uprilian soldiers or Ustrosi soldiers."

"Fog rolling in?" Anna frowned. "Well, good thing I brought something along." She then pulled out a staff, and an unlit torch.

"How is that going to help?" Howe asked, pointing to the staff.

"Oh, that's easy!" Anna winked. "This staff is a torch staff! It lights up the literal fog of war to clear it up for you!"

"Well, that's quite the fascinating item," Adem smiled. He then frowned, and said, "Wait… how much are you going to charge for the staff and the torch?"

"This one's on the house," Anna said, "thanks to my sister."

"Well, I appreciate the fact that your sister is quite the generous woman—"

"Just the actual torch, though," Anna winked. "The staff itself cost 1,000 Gold… before taxes." Adem stared in shock at her.

"Captain," Keyon said, "you better take this opportunity to prepare our group. If enemies are coming for our heads, we better be ready for them. We can use the fog to ambush them, defeat their leaders and send their armies into a panic… or cross the border. Either way, we'll win."

"Aye," Howe agreed.

Several minutes later, the crew was organized on the western side of the border overlooking a cliff near the bridge, while Uprilian and Ustrosi soldiers showed up on either side of the border. "That's far enough," an Ustrosi dark flier with short black hair and wearing a blue and black dress said. "I am Captain Kawther of the Ustrosi border patrol. State your business, Uprilians."

"We heard a rumor that some Argelian privateers were planning to make a daring breach of the border," a male Uprilian said. "If it's who we think it is, we wanted to intercept him, make him pay for his and that Argelian captain's actions!"

"If it's who I think you're talking about," Kawther scowled, "then I'm going to have to ask you to let Captain Sirius Howe fall to us! King Rifat most likely wants to take his head himself for Nourdari AND his murder of his wife and unborn son's through his inaction!"

"Unfortunately for you," the Uprilian said, stepping forward, revealing his combed back green hair, brown eyes, shining paladin armor, and firm stare, "I believe that as a royal whose grandmother he left for dead and whose ships Captain Howe has been destroying these past few months, I'm more in direct entitlement to execute the pirate turned privateer than a cowardly king who hides behind a barrier."

"How dare you!?" the pegasus knight scowled. "Identify yourself!"

"I am Prince Omar Kahb of Upril," the paladin introduced himself. "Son of Crown Prince Khai Ghannam of Upril. Grandson of the late Queen Tabia Ghannam. I am owed a debt of blood by Captain Howe. And I will not be bullied into surrendering my opportunity for revenge by a border guard. Stand aside, and let me set me a checkpoint."

Meanwhile, at the nearby border village, a light brown skinned young woman about 21 years old with pure white hair peeking out from beneath her tattered brown cape and cowl, with small glimpses of a small red diamond peeking out from beneath her bangs stood at outside of the village to keep guard. Her light blue eyes looked at the argument with minor interest. She was wearing a light brown shoulderless blouse and a long white skirt. And around her wrists, atop a pair of golden bracelets, were a pair of rainbow-colored sets of rosary beads.

"Well, that's the most interesting thing all day," the woman sighed. "Well, I guess the brigands aren't coming around today. Oh well, guess I may as well make as my mom would, and close up shop and see if there's treasure elsewhere… huh?" She then noticed that _the Sabine's_ crew was also watching the argument from a cliff. "Well, that's new. And is that woman…?"

"Well, that's a predicament," Howe said, looking at the argument. "How close is that fog rolling in?"

"Almost here, captain," Yildiz said, looking through a spyglass he borrowed from Howe. "What's the plan once the fog rolls in?"

"Again, we take advantage of it," Howe explained. "We can either defeat the two arguing to break their defenses by their retreats, or we can be smart and just sneak around." He pointed to a spot on the border. "If we can get there, we're home free to Ustros, and from there, we'll be able to find out what happened to Ekin."

"Well, either that or I can capture enough of their people to force a hole open," Keyon said. Everyone looked at him. "You all forgot that I've been trained as a bounty hunter, didn't you?"

"...Yes," Howe admitted.

"Oh gods," Keyon groaned. "Look, I have the ability to capture enemies alive instead of straight-up killing them. You can interrogate them for information, and even bolster our forces if you're persuasive enough. But if you're unlucky enough to not get them to turn to our side, they may escape the camp and come back for us later, remembering our typical strategies. You'll have to deal with them again, later."

"I'll pen that down as an option," Howe said. "But as long as we can use the fog as cover, we can sneak by while they're not paying attention…."

It was at this moment a group of Thieves Guild members ran up to them. "Well, this is a surprise!" one of the thieves loudly grinned. "Well, we have a little time to do some mugging before we go off to Mawdood!" He then pulled out his weapon. "Alright, people, everything shiny you've got, right now, on the ground. Depending on both your cooperation as well as the size of your contributions to the Thieves Guild's coffers, you may avoid being buried in this desert!"

"Quiet down!" Howe semi-loudly whispered. "We're in the middle of something, and being robbed is not helping anyone…."

"You're in the middle of handing over all of your valuables!" the rogue said. "Otherwise, we'll be slitting your throats! Now, your money or your lives!"

"You do see we're heavily armed," Howe pointed out. "And that's not even mentioning the two groups arguing down the way. Two groups that I don't think either of us will like to draw their attention to. Quit being loud, please, and move on before they notice us, and you can try to rob us again, later."

"I'll be as loud as the hell I want!" the rogue said. "And why wait to rob you when I can have your shiny trinkets right now!? Now, final chance! Hand over everything you have… or DIE, and we take them off of your corpses! Your choice, asshole!"

"HEY, THIEVES GUILD JERKS!" a female voice chimed in. The Thieves Guild and Howe's crew looked to see a small, thin, olive-skinned young girl with a childish face pouting at the Thieves Guild. Her ears were pointed, yet curved, and her short, black hair-fringed to frame her face to highlight her scarlet, reptilian eyes. She was wearing some rather tattered clothes, but what was noteworthy were her choice of accessories: a red cloth wristband on her right wrist and a tattered gray scarf around her left bicep. "You better talk, right now!"

"Oh, it's the little girl, again," the rogue spat. "Ugh… kid, we don't have time to deal with you, and it's clearly obvious you don't have anything worth taking. So, run home to your mommy!"

"I'm a thousand and twenty-seven, buster!" the girl answered. "And my 'mommy' is a terrible woman!"

"A thousand and what?" Piper asked. She was answered by the girl pulling out a red stone with a rock on it. "Oh no," Piper said, shrinking behind Howe.

"Oh, she's a manakete," Howe realized. He then backed up, realizing her stone was glowing. "Oh gods, she's a manakete!"

At this point, the Uprilians and the Ustrosi couldn't ignore the massive green earth dragon erupting from nearby them, exposing Howe's hiding spot. "A dragon!?" Kawther asked.

"And not one of ours," Omar said, whistling. His war camel approached him. "And look who's with it! That must be Sirius Howe. Troops, attack!"

"Nourdari, Lady Najiyya, and Queen Kalia will be avenged today, pirate!" Kawther scowled. "Defend the border at all costs! If possible, capture that pirate alive! If not, take his head to present to King Rifat!"

Howe scowled at the now running Ustrosi Thieves Guild rogues, only to find that the new manakete problem had dealt with all but three of them, and was in pursuit. "Oh my gods, this is going to be a LONG day." As if to make it worse, the fog chose this moment to come in. "And that bad timing is going to make it worse. Vladimir, Adem, and Anna, I'm counting on you to lead us!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" the three said, Anna taking a group one way while Adem and Piper stayed with Howe.

"Um, Captain," Piper questioned, "what do we do about the manakete problem?"

"We have a few options," Keyon said. "We COULD just let her be, but odds are, she's going to chase the Thieves Guild members straight into our ambushers, who have no reason to try to keep her alive. We could remove the problem ourselves to get a headache off the field, but nobody said to bring dragon-killing equipment, so unless you have an armorslayer or a hammer, Captain, we're stuck on that. But we do have another option, one you're not going to like, Piper."

"What?" Piper asked.

"We try to get her on our side," Howe reasoned, heading after the manakete.

"WHAT!?" Piper questioned.

"That's my option," Keyon said. "You can't ignore the fact, Piper, that a manakete would be a hell of a crewmember. Howe recruiting her is kind of the most pragmatic thing we can do to put her to use."

"A word of caution, Captain," Torio said, going after Howe. "I don't think she'll be in a negotiating mood if she fails to catch ANY of those thieves, and this fog is pretty heavy, so we can't predict where the thieves are going to go unless we can see. You have until all of those thieves pull the same move as we planned to get her attention. Your best option is to take out at least ONE of them before you approach her to slow her down!" He then stopped to use a spell against a wyvern knight, striking him down before he became a problem. "You go ahead! I'll deal with the less magic resistant enemies!"

"Good call," Howe agreed. "Vladimir!"

"I'm keeping an eye out," Vladimir said, flying ahead. "Captain, look out! Ustrosi soldier, approaching you to your right!"

Howe raised his axe to block the lance. "You're going to pay for all of the pain and misery you've caused!" the soldier scowled.

"It could have been much WORSE," Howe argued, slashing the lance away. Before he could strike, an archer knocked him down with his bow. Howe barely grabbed the archer's wrist before he could impale him with an arrow. Howe recognized the archer from the battle of Xuhua Bay over half a year ago. "You…!?"

"You thought you could kill my captain and get away with it, Captain Howe!?" the Uprilian archer scowled. "Every Uprilian life you've taken gets avenged, today! You'll bleed by my hand!" Howe surprised him by kicking him in the stomach and pushing him away, looking at the retreating rogues going into the fog.

"Vladimir, keep an eye on those thieves!" Howe ordered, getting up. "I'll deal with this lot!"

"Got it!" Vladimir grinned, flying after the rogues. Howe, now able to focus on the fight in front of him, blocking the lance once again. This time, Yildiz had enough time to get close to the fight to help, blocking the arrows with his massive shield.

"Has this archer been bothering you, Howe?" Yildiz asked.

"A little bit," Howe answered. "Keep covering me for a moment!" Howe then quickly overpowering the soldier with his axe. "Thanks, Yildiz."

"No problem," Yildiz grinned. "You work for my lady, I work for you, Captain."

"So a dog holding another dog's leash," the Uprilian archer spat. "Is this what the Argelian military is made of?"

"Actually, we're lions," Yildiz replied, trying to stab at the archer, who dodged.

"Keep him busy, if possible!" Howe ordered before regaining pursuit. "I'll see if I can do something about that dragon!"

With Anna, she and Piper were on the lookout for the thieves. They neared the village that was by the border, seeing that one of the rogues had set his sights on the village to do some pillaging. However, he was being blocked by the white-haired girl from before, a dagger in her hands and a staff upon her back.

"Out of the way, gypsy woman!" the Thieves Guild rogue growled. "I'm not about to return to Mawdood empty handed!"

"Sorry, sir, but this village is closed, and there's hardly any treasure," the girl smirked. "You'll have to conduct business elsewhere, I suppose."

"So you think you can protect this village by your lonesome!?" the rogue questioned. "Guess I'll just have to cut you down to size!"

"Good luck!" the girl smiled. The rogue lunged with his knife, but the gypsy girl danced out of the way, and she slashed with her own, actually cutting the rogue. He growled and prepared to strike her, but an arrow found itself in his shoulder. He looked behind him in time to see Piper coming, swinging her sword to cut him down.

"You alright, girl?" Anna asked. "Wait a second… are you Annette!?"

"Anna!?" the gypsy, Annette, questioned. "As in, my foster mother's little sister!?" With Anna's signature wink and pose, she greeted, "Este atât de bine să te cunosc, mătușa Anna!"

"...What?" Piper asked.

"She said it was good to meet her Auntie," Anna smiled.

"You look the same age!" Piper pointed out.

"Well, what brings you here? Can't you see there's a battle going on?"

"I would have left," Annette admitted, "but I saw you all, and then the Thieves Guild guys decided to attack this town, and well, I'm defending it."

"Well, you don't have to by yourself anymore," Anna smirked. "I'm here! And we could use your help."

"Ooh, you're on a secret mission?" Annette asked. "Well, I hope you're getting well rewarded. But how can I help you?"

"We're going around Orobia looking for a legendary treasure or two," Anna smirked. "You sold?"

"Ooh, legendary treasure, huh? And two Annas to split it!" Annette grinned. "Count me in, Anna!"

"Hmm, I would have preferred Auntie, but I guess that will do," Anna smiled.

"Um, Anna, what just happened?" Piper asked.

"That's easy, Piper," Anna said. Pointing to her niece, she explained, "This is technically my adopted niece, Annette. She's actually half-genie, so that's a fun thing about her."

"But I'm more leaning towards my human side," Annette added. "But still, if you need a lock picked or a scout, I'm a girl!"

"I'm a bit more concerned by the fact that you just recruited someone WITHOUT consulting Captain Howe," Piper said. "Or Keyon."

"Well, we need all the hands we can get," Anna reasoned. "And what better than another Anna? You'll be able to tell us apart as long as someone doesn't dye their hair!"

"Hey, we should warn the village about the fighting," Kairi said. She headed over to the village and warned the elder.

"The Ustrosi and the Uprilians are at battle against some random forces, and there are brigands about?" the elder questioned. "Oh, gods! If those random forces are actually Argelians, the Uprilians will NEVER care about us! Here, a small offering to letting us know we're in danger." He handed the myrmidon an Arms Scroll. "There are other villages around here, but you might not be able to see them in this fog. Be careful!" With that, he locked the village.

Howe resumed his pursuit, seeing through the fog that the Ustrosi had decided to engage the manakete girl. " **Get out of my way! Those Thieves will get away!"**

"We'll deal with those Thieves Guild scum another day!" the dark mage attacking her spat. "For now, you're with Sirius Howe! That means you're a problem!"

" **Who the heck is Sirius Howe!?"** the manakete replied. She winced when a thunder spell crackled on her skin. " **Ow! You jerks! I just wanted help finding the Thieves Guild, and this is what I get!?"** She then inhaled, and exhaled a storm of rocks, easily crushing the mage. " **Now, where did those thieves scamper off to?"** She then saw Vladimir, in his bat form, fly up to her.

" **They went that way!"** Vladimir said, pointing out one of the rogues.

" **Oh, thanks, giant bat,"** the manakete said. She then moved to intercept, pinning down the rogue. She then returned to her humanoid form, angrily pouting. "Where's my little brother!?"

"You're… little brother?" the rogue repeated.

"Yeah!" the manakete girl said. "Almost seven years ago, brigands such as you stole him from me! No doubt slavers working for the Thieves Guild! Now, tell me where your base is, and maybe, just maybe, I won't eat you!"

"Well, that's not very reassuring!" the rogue said. "If Mawdood found out I ever told anyone of his base's location, he'd skin me alive, and then, whilst somehow keeping me alive, cut me to pieces, and then poison the meat of my body and force feed me to the coyotes of the desert! I know, I've seen him do it to someone he tortured to death, once!"

"...That's some nightmare fuel," the manakete said. "But still, it doesn't tell me squat about Varsha. So, what CAN you tell me that won't get you killed?"

Suddenly, an angry yell rang out, and the two looked up to see a cavalier charging them with a lance. Before the lance could even strike them, however, a hand axe hit the camel, sending the rider falling down. When he barely got up, a whip slashed him across the face. Keyon and Howe walked through the fog, both panting. Keyon then saw the bloodied cavalier stand up, holding his lance. He just grabbed his whip again and wrapped it around the lance, pulling it out of the cavalier's hands. He then began whipping the cavalier senseless before grabbing him in a chokehold with the whip.

"Lady," Keyon complained after breaking the cavalier's neck with his whip, "you are a HARD woman to keep up with!"

"What?" the manakete questioned.

"You just charged right into the middle of two groups who were there to ambush us," Howe explained. "We planned to ambush their ambush or sneak around in the fog when these guys showed up trying to rob us, and then YOU escalated it."

"Oh," the manakete said. Switching to a rather cheerful face, she smiled, "Sorry! I got caught up. You see, about seven years ago, my little brother was kidnapped by bandits whilst we were treasure hunting. I've been searching around this continent trying to find him."

"Are you sure he's al—" Keyon started, only for Howe to silence him.

"He may have escaped," Howe tried to assure her.

"I think he did!" the rogue pinned down said. "Four years ago, a half-manakete escaped our Rusnadi slavemaster! He lasted three years in the slavers' care, and he still didn't break! Mawdood was furious to hear that this one prisoner wouldn't bend! The boy then caused a riot that ended with his escape and several other slaves!"

"Half-manakete… that's Varsha, for sure!" the girl grinned. "He's still alive! And was in… Rusnad."

"Well, that's unfortunate," Keyon said. He then walked over to the rogue, pulled out his iron bow, and knocked him out. Tying him up, he said, "I'll see to this man's interrogation, captain."

"Thanks, Keyon," Howe said. He then looked at the now saddened manakete. "Hey, um… what should we do with you? It's dangerous, here."

"Yeah, I realize that," the manakete girl said. "I should probably head to Rusnad. But's it's going to be a heck of a walk, and whoever this Sirius Howe guy is, these guys think I'm with him."

"Yeah, I'm Sirius Howe," Howe explained.

"Oh!" the manakete said. "That makes sense. Well, thanks for helping me catch one of these guys, at least." It was at this point the Uprilian prince and his forces began charging out of the fog. "Hey, Sirius, if I can ask, where are you off to?"

Howe blocked another lance, and explained, "Well, I plan to go into Ustros, do a quick mission, and then meet my ally in Nourdari who will have my ship ready, and from there, we're going to pass into Rusnadi waters."

"Really!?" the manakete said. "Permission to come aboard!?"

"I suppose I can make a small detour," Howe said. "No promises we'll find your brother."

"Awesome! By the way, I'm Eliana Arvadi!"

"Call me 'Howe'," Howe said. After dealing with the soldier, he then added, "But we should save proper introductions for AFTER we survive this!"

"Okay," Eliana nodded. She grabbed her dragonstone once again and swiped away some of the enemies.

"Captain!" Anna called, coming over with Piper, Kairi, a tired Torio, Adem, Annette, and a slightly wounded Yildiz after a small skirmish. "How are you guys holding up? You're hurt!"

"I'll be fine," Howe said. Anna and Adem healed him and Eliana, who returned to her humanoid form.

"Thanks, lady," Eliana said. "So, why are the Uprilians and Ustrosi upset with you all?"

"We work for the Argelian Empire," Vladimir said, slightly wounded as he landed. "Those were some formidable pegasus knights."

"Wait, what happened to that archer that keeps trying to kill us?" Keyon asked. He was then answered by Howe taking an arrow to his arm, growling. "Oh, there he is!"

"I just healed you," Adem said. He nearly got an arrow himself, but Kairi took it in her side for him, letting out a gasp of pain.

"Kairi!" Torio gasped.

"I'll heal her," Adem assured the worried mage. Howe, meanwhile, pulled out the arrow in his arm, and after wrapping the wound, scowled at the archer.

"I'm not letting you leave alive, Giussean pirate!" the Uprilian archer called. He raised his bow, but Howe blocked the next arrow with his axe and charged at him. Using the flat side of his axe to block every single arrow, he tackled the archer, getting into a brief scuffle with the man. Eventually, the archer kicked Howe off and spat out a small bit of blood.

"You've gotten quite a bit stronger, huh?" Howe asked.

"Damn right I did," the archer said, holding onto his bow. "I made a vow to kill you, and by Rerci, I will commit to it!" He then swung with his bow, but Howe dodged, only to be sliced with an arrow. He then countered with a swift jab to the archer's chest and then being with the flat side of Howe's axe across the face just as both Omar and Kawther rode up in close proximity.

"That's enough, soldier!" Omar yelled. "I shan't have Sirius Howe's treachery be ended by a mere grunt! This honor of ending a notorious pirate working for the evil Argelian Empire shall be mine!"

"No, he needs to stand trial and hang in Ustros!" Kawther scowled, swooping forward on her pegasus. However, she gasped in pain as an arrow from Anna's bow hit her in her side. Her pegasus was ensnared in a rope by Keyon. Keyon himself ensnared the Uprilian archer with another rope arrow, preventing Howe from finishing his new nemesis off. This, unfortunately, left Howe to contend with a weakened Kawther and an angry prince Omar.

"I want to know something before you die, pirate," Omar said, unsheathing his sword. "The night Queen Tabia died… did my grandmother call out to your ship for aid? And did you have the audacity to ignore a queen's summons!? Were you working for the heartless Argelian Empress back then or did you just recently to bend the knee to her!?"

"Your grandmother never saw the _Dove,"_ Howe said. "If she did, Captain Dilazak ordered me to ignore it. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, almost three years ago. It still does. However, nobody in Orobia has EVER bothered to give me a chance to make up for it!"

"So you turned to the Argelians?" Omar retorted. "You decide that if Orobia won't accept your apology, you feel obligated to lead a campaign of conquest just to establish whatever point you're trying to get across? That hardly makes much more sense in terms of atoning, does it? No, in fact, it just condemns you as a ruthless villain even MORE than your refusal to aid the Orobian queens in their hour of need because of the terrible orders you were given! It makes you even WORSE than the Argelians, in a sense! You work for the people who put my innocent grandmother to the sword, and kickstarted all of this madness without so much as an explanation!" He then prepared his sword. "And you do it thinking that this will somehow make things better! You're not a hero. You're not even a good villain! You're just an insane monster who believes his own lies that death and destruction is the path of redemption!"

"Perhaps you're right," Howe said. "It's no secret that I'm far from a good person. But at the same time, just because on the surface you think Argelia is pure evil, doesn't mean there's not good in its people. Humans are flawed… and I have my ways about fixing this conflict that you may never understand. But as much as you want my blood for your grandmother, I have to keep living. So stand aside, Your Majesty, and you'll live to see the end of today."

"Not only insane and cowardly, but arrogant," Omar spat. "You are beyond help. I don't know why I wasted my breath with you." He then lunged with his sword, but Yildiz came through, blocking the sword with his shield.

"I have your back, Captain!" Yildiz grunted, despite the pressure on his shield. He then countered with his lance, forcing Omar back.

"Thanks, Yildiz," Howe smiled at his knight. He then said, "Alright, we've done more than our fair share of damage, people! Let's retreat!" He grabbed Yildiz, and began a retreat, despite being hounded by Omar. Eventually, they made it deep into the fog where Omar couldn't see them, and by the time it cleared, Howe's crew was gone.

"Damn it!" Omar growled. "That pirate slipped from my grasp! I'm sorry, Grandmother… I will still avenge you, one day."

"Damn it, Uprilians!" Kawther growled. "This is all your fault! If you didn't interfere, we would have intercepted Captain Howe and would be on our way to the capital where King Rifat would have him stand trial! Instead, you tried to invoke some silly royal decree on us, where that captain could ambush us with a dragon!"

"And how did you help, border guard?" Omar questioned. "At least I didn't get easily rolled over by the pirate's forces!" The two would, once more, argue.

* * *

 **Kingdom of Ustros, Howe's Camp—Half a Day Later**

Whilst Adem and Anna took turns tending to everyone's wounds, Howe said, "Well… that was quite the rough patch. We'll have to lay low between here and Kel Tibja."

"And once you're done with this," Eliana said from the tent the girls set up for themselves, "you'll head to Rusnad, right?"

"I'll try to get us there," Howe said. "Now then, Eliana, about your clothes… we may need to update your wardrobe."

"Yeah, I was going to change," Eliana said. She then stepped out, wearing a much better outfit. "I bought this whilst in Upril. How do I look?" The earth manakete was now wearing a loose purple dress and a pair of black shorts under it for modesty. "I had been chasing those Thieves Guild guys for so long, I forgot to change."

"You look much better," Torio said. Looking at the groaning Kairi, he said, "And you're looking much better, too. That was quite reckless, Kairi."

"Reckless, yes, but I thank you," Adem nodded.

"It's no problem," the myrmidon said. "What about the archer?"

"I've secured him and the rogue," Keyon said. "Captain, I've written down the archer's name from his ID tag and gotten the rogue to spill some information about himself, and Yildiz is currently on guard. You ought to interrogate them some time."

"Thanks," Howe said. "Anything else, Keyon?"

"I'd kind of would like to have an idea of how, if we're to infiltrate the city to rescue Lady Ekin, you plan to achieve that."

Howe frowned. "Truth be told, haven't gotten that far, but I'll have something before we get there," Howe replied. "We have about two weeks to pull this off before we make our way to Nourdari." He then smirked, looking at Anna and Annette. The two women smirked back at him. "We'll come up with something."

"So, we're now going to address the elephant in the camp as to who she is?" Keyon asked. "Finally. Lady, who are you?"

"I'm Annette," the half-genie gypsy answered, winking similarly to Anna.

"...Gods damn it, Anna," Keyon said, his hand on his face. "How many relatives do you even have?"

Whilst the group talked, Howe walked towards the impromptu prisoner's camp, where Yildiz was sitting at guard. Howe nodded before receiving a scroll. Apparently, the archer's name was Louai, and the rogue's name was Ashqar.

Ashqar was a cowardly thief, that was for certain. If Howe knew the stories of Mawdood, the thief king was ruthless and had a very low tolerance for failure, capture, or treason… such was the case as to why Zrisse attempted to join the Argelian Empire to be protected. Odds are the rogue would sooner defect to Howe's crew simply to avoid Mawdood's wrath, and would probably even answer his new recruit Eliana's questions.

However, the pirate had a feeling Louai was going to be a very persistent nemesis if he couldn't be convinced to turn to his side or put down. However, he didn't want to execute an unarmed man and wasn't going to change his tone about him very easily. He'd be a tough nut to crack.

He would deal with the two later. But right now, he would need to prepare in order to rescue Ekin. No doubt she was scared.

* * *

 **City of Kel Tibja, Palace Throne Room—The Following Morning**

Ekin walked forward, her hands cuffed behind her back. Several members of her small detachment were also captured with her. She was being marched forward by Zainab, who seemed rather curious. Eventually, she found herself in the lavish Ustrosi throne room, standing in front of a sitting King Rifat.

"Your Majesty," Zainab said, "my group and I captured these Argelians outside of the city gates. They didn't really put up a fight."

"Not because I want to, Your Grace," Ekin assured him stepping forward, only to be cut off by a pair of spears. She simply curtsied as best as she could. She looked up at him, and said, "I'm honored to be in your presence, King Rifat."

"...You say this and act rather casually," Rifat observed. He then listed, "Your empire attacked the hometown of my mother and my late wife, eventually conquering it. Your empress slew my wife and unborn son in cold blood, and has not, in nearly three years, given an answer WHY she had to die. My mother and father died of despair. The time for pleasantries is long past, Argelian woman. You best state your purpose for coming here, and hope to whatever gods Argelians pray to that I'm willing to listen." Leaning forward, he questioned, "Did you honestly think a small detachment would be enough to infiltrate my city?"

"No!" Ekin said. "You say the time for pleasantries has passed? In actuality, the time for talking is NOW more than ever before." She then inhaled, and said, "We need to try again, for everyone's sake."

"...Try again?" Rifat questioned, stepping off of his throne.

"While I cannot speak for the Empress, I speak for myself and plenty of good Argelians that would like peace between our nations," Ekin said. "I know Lady Kadri, my best friend and princess of Argelia doesn't wish to continue this senseless killing. But not everyone in Argelia's military can be contained, and we're sorry for it. Please, Your Highness, all I'm asking is that you listen to my cries for peace."

"Peace?" Negim scoffed. "Your people have captured and are possibly enslaving ours, hoping to add all of Orobia to your growing empire! And yet you speak of peace!?"

"I shall not pretend this war didn't happen," Ekin replied. "However, we only let those who wish for blood win if we refuse to talk. My friends, Kadri and Sema, are each fighting their own battles to end this madness, Kadri by trying to help keep peace in our empire, while Sema is on the front lines trying to curb the more extreme violence. I bet it's because of her that your people in Nourdari are being treated rather well."

"Liar," Negim scowled. "I bet your people are torturing everyone in Nourdari and Konnunlik as we speak." Turning to her king, she said, "Milord, this is a waste of time and this harpy has let her tongue wag too freely. Shall we execute her and be done with it? Send her head back to her Argelian masters to let them know we will no longer listen to their honey-laced words of poison?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ekin replied, showing no fear. "Killing me would serve as a message, but not the type you wish to get across, Your Majesty. It will instead say there is no hope for peace. More Ustrosi and Argelian blood will spill, and it will be on your hands, this time."

"Is that some kind of way to plead for mercy?" Rifat questioned, slightly surprised to not see her attempting to kneel.

"No, Your Majesty, not mine," Ekin said, hardening her glare. "I'm pleading for your soul. I can tell, just by looking at you, you're a good man who has been unfortunately burdened at a time with the task of leading a kingdom at war. I know whom you've lost, and nothing short of this goddess called… Rerci, if I've heard correctly, could truly bring her back. Your soul is troubled, Your Grace, and you're doing everything in your power to not let yourself succumb to despair. Whilst I can't truly ever give you back what was taken for you, and I'm incredibly sorry for it, all of it, there is one thing I CAN tell you. Killing me will not solve your problems, nor make you happy. In fact, it will make it all worse. My father, Duke Abdil, will launch his magical armies into your kingdom with an attache of templars and malig knights. My best friend Sema will NOT take my death lightly and lead her own strike force. And that's not even mentioning my other best friend Kadri and her father, who will not rest until he makes his daughter's friend's murder pay." She gave him a surprisingly gentle look. "Even if you win this war, even if you think to strike me down in cold blood right here and now… your soul will be destroyed. And I don't WANT that. Nobody sane WOULD want to watch a potentially good man destroy his own soul."

"Stop trying to corrupt MY king with your words!" Negim growled, preparing to strike her down with her lance. However, Rifat raised his hand. "Milord…?"

"You can't kill her, Captain," Zainab finally spoke up.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Zainab!" Negim scowled at her.

"She's right, though," Rifat replied. "At this point, executing her isn't an option."

"She's no doubt bluffing!" Negim retorted. "There is no way that a powerful nation like Argelia would send someone they didn't think would be irreplaceable into Orobia!"

"If she's not bluffing," Rifat argued with his personal guard, "then no amount of power I can provide for the barrier will be enough to protect my people from a total retaliation of Argelia's might focused solely on Ustros. We haven't been fully conquered yet because the Argelian army is fighting both Rusnad and Upril. We shall not survive that level of focus. For now, she is a guest that I will keep an eye on myself."

"At least, milord, I suggest putting her in the dungeons," Negim said.

"A fair compromise," Rifat said. He then looked at Ekin, and said, "You have a rather strong steel will… you remind me of someone."

Ekin giggled. "I've been told by Kadri and Sema that I'm the stubborn one of us." With another curtsy, she said, "Until we talk again, Your Grace." She and her group were led away by the Ustrosi guard. Zainab turned to assist but found Negim's hand on her shoulder.

"A word, city guard," the captain said. She led Zainab to the side.

"I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, ma'am, but—"

"I thought I made my position as your superior perfectly clear," Negim scowled. "Even if it was King Rifat's intentions to leave the Argelian soothsayer alive, you have NO say in this court or ANYWHERE in Ustros. In fact, be content with every day you're still allowed to be a part of the guard, let alone BREATHING for your failures." Looking at the retreating Ekin, she said, "We already let her say too much to avoid getting the king's attention thanks to you. We ought to be putting her head on a pike, not listening to her false speeches."

"How would killing her help solve any of our problems?" Zainab questioned.

 _ **SMACK!**_

"I thought I told you to NOT interrupt me!" Negim scowled while Zainab held her bloody lip. Negim continued, "You're better off praying to the gods that this doesn't harm Ustros in any way. Because King Rifat's orders or not, someone will be kneeling for the executioner in the next few months. Now get the hell out of my sight." Zainab sadly turned around and walked away. "...Zainab has always been a troublemaker. Did she really think that she could actually redeem herself by bringing an Argelian political prisoner? Fat chance… I'll deal with her after I deal with the Argelian."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Okay, so now that this is done, I have a few things to say: FINALLY! I feel this chapter took me forever!

Thing two: Yes, Guaril and Tawni both make a cameo here as well as in Janiya's Tale. However, Howe fails to meet Tawni by just a narrow margin before Sema and Habai distract him. And Ekin goes into an unstable Ustros for a chance to negotiate. Ekin is kind of a wild card in Emperor Consort Nika's inner circle and is overly eager to try to end the war as blood-free as possible to take some of the heavier burdens off of her friends and father's backs. She also has an iron will, not really flinching when it comes to finding herself in a situation where she's in trouble.

But that's not all. Two new allies for Howe have shown up: Annette, the gypsy created by Vaati Star (and asked to be a part of Howe's campaign), and Eliana, the pureblood manakete trio of Imperium 7's trio of siblings (and the oldest compared to Esen and the character that will be introduced in Tawni's next main chapter). I know their two situations of recruitment would be odd put together on the surface (Annette you have to talk to as either Howe or Anna, the latter for a family reunion, while she is defending a village; while Eliana, you had a limited time before either the Uprilians and Ustrosi manage to kill her, Howe's group kills her via one of the armor-slaying weapons you probably bought, all three Ustrosi Thieves Guild rogues leave and she retreats out of frustration, or you manage to defeat one of the Thieves and she retreats having accomplished nothing that will help her to talk to her as Howe), but I thought I kind of made them work.

Now, I know I introduced yet ANOTHER one of Prince Khai's royal children, Omar, but he and Kawther, the two bosses of this chapter, didn't get as much emphasis as Howe's new Nemesis, Louai the archer. Remember how I've said that there are chances that the way you play may forge new enemies? Louai has become that enemy. Fun fact, as early as the Voyage of Xuhua Bay, any enemy you leave alive when you engage in actually on-foot battles has the potential of becoming an enemy that will pop up later. Same in small skirmishes (Howe has to engage in several skirmishes before he can unlock this chapter, but I didn't want to include them). But eventually, Howe would gain a personal enemy that would start small. The same would happen with the others, but they take a while longer than Howe because of course, Howe's campaign is meant to be the hardest one. However, know that we'll see Omar and Kawther again.

Alright, enough delays. Time to actually answer your reviews.

 **Consort:** Duke Zahar is, while the main villain of Sulaiman's intro campaign, a villain I wanted to admit to having a point. He hates Sulaiman because he doesn't trust him due to the horrible actions of the previous secondborn prince, Aseel... who if I was writing a direct prequel story to _Night of Tales,_ would be one of the two main villains of the story, the other being Sizah. Zahar fears that it's inevitable that any secondborn noble, especially male secondborn nobles, have a tendency to attempt to betray and/or usurp their elder brothers, with Aseel nearly succeeding when he secretly tricked and eventually killed Wisaam, and the fact that Sulaiman is playing the game of politics much better than others save for Gizeh, Aseel, and perhaps even his son Zaid does not help his paranoia. That said, Sulaiman's intention to marry a Cruibian noblewoman (and the crown princess at that) is the final straw for him tolerating Sulaiman.

Khaled sort of proves Zahar right with how eager and bloodthirsty he is, but the latter's mistreatment of the former doesn't help curb his tendencies. Zaid is much smarter than his brother and a far nicer noble than either his brother or father, but he has his own weaknesses. Here's hoping Tawni didn't overdo it with the tea... and Himli doesn't need too much for his nerves.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** You've been rather busy with your docs. I can't help but wonder how soon Sento's paralogue is from being completed?

Anyway, Tawni does have the most stealth abilities of the protagonists and it makes sense to stay as quiet as possible. After all, too much and you have two powerful foes to face that only Akiba would reasonably have a chance against.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** Glad to hear from you. I hope I did both of your characters justice in Janiya's chapter. Mineva is a fun villainess to write for.

As for Mecca and Witherbrand, well, yeah, I guess I unintentionally made it a reference to the other magic swords of old. Of the Gargec-made mythical weapons in my story, it's actually my favorite so far. And it allows me to sort of justify Mecca's obsession with Taryn from earlier that he'd be willing to raise the stakes in the tournament (that and he trusted his son). Mecca loves his legends.

Zaid is more affable than most villains in "modern day _Fire Emblem"_ (I won't lie, you can tell who is pure evil in the likes of _Awakening_ and _Fates_ just by looking at them (Validar and Iago being the most obvious examples)), but he does have some dark qualities that will show later. As for Khaled, I do admit he has NO chill with his ruthlessness nor his desires for beautiful women. However, lust is a vice for most Botros men. However, he still embodies what a lot of people view as a secondborn noble... including his vying for power from his elder brother.

 **ZenoZen:** Yep. Tawni's tale is meant to be the lightest since she doesn't really have to navigate the political court of Poswa like Sulaiman, the two front war of Janiya, and the difficulty of Howe's campaigns.

 **Kaychains:** Nope. Just took a while to finally finish.

And we're finally finished! So, next time, we're going to going over some more supports. But before I do, I have to ask, if your character is a member of any of the four campaigns, please PM me as soon as possible so we can negotiate times to collaborate on support conversations. I'd appreciate it.

Also, by the time this goes live, I should have a new poll up asking which Night of Supports topics you want to be addressed next. Alright. Farewell, my subjects!


	26. Janiya and Company Supports, Round 2

Caspar's Notes: Hello there, ladies and gentlemen. Caspar here. Not the _Three Houses_ Caspar, but the _Night of Tales_ Caspar. I would like to take this moment to advocate that regardless of the fact that he and I share a name, and whatever his personality is, I came first.

Now that that has been said, onto thing two. Before you ask about gauntlets, we did not, prior to starting this story, PLAN for a martial artist class, and we are not about to include gauntlets as a weapon for _Night of Tales._ With all due respect, our weapon triangle is already complicated enough as it is, with red weapons being swords, whips, fire magic, and dragonstones, green weapons being axes, bows, wind magic, and beaststones, and blue weapons being lances, daggers, lightning magic, and wingstones, white weapons being healing staves, buffing staves, and light magic, and black weapons being debuffing staves, monster attacks, and dark magic. In short, the weapon triangle we have is overkill without factoring in gauntlets. Even if we did, where would we put it? And would we have to come up with two more weapons? These are questions we cannot answer right now and will have to answer in another story if we do that.

Now then, we now have plenty of support conversations for you, today. Plenty cowritten, some original from our author. So, without ado, we will get to Lady Janiya's campaign's second round of support conversations. I will see you all at the end of this to answer reviews.

* * *

 **Janiya and Company Supports Round 2**

* * *

Janiya brought her weapons into the practice arena. "Alright, finally time for some combat practice!" the princess beamed. She then channeled her magic on the astral plate and created a group of holograms.

"So what do you plan to do with non-moving targets as far as I can see?" A man's voice spoke up revealing it to be Saladin sitting by a tree.

"Saladin?" Janiya asked, looking at him. "Oh, these targets? Trust me, they'll move." She channeled her magic once more, and the holograms drew their weapons. "Fun things about astral plates I've learned… you can interact directly with the projections. They can't kill you, but the magical feedback will sting."

"Interesting." He said as he got up. "Still, why not practice with a real body?" He said as he pulled up a wooden practice spear.

"Didn't have a real partner available until now," she answered. She then blocked one of the holograms' swords, and said, "Still, I can't just turn this off right at this moment, so if you could lend a hand so we can properly talk?"

"Very well," Saladin said as he simply dashed and ran through all the holograms and instantly destroying all of them. Much to her shock as Saladin looked at her. "So, wish to talk now?"

"What the… wow, I knew you were good, but THAT good!?" Janiya breathed. "Where did you learn to fight like that, Saladin!?"

"They call me the Wandering Spear for a reason," Saladin said. "And as for where I learned it, I didn't learn from any proper place or teacher, but I taught myself how to fight since I was young." He said calmly.

"Self-taught?" Janiya frowned. "You didn't even have your parents teach you?"

"No," Saladin said calmly thought with a small hint of edge. "I never knew my birth parents," Saladin said. "Was raised by a Priestess."

"A woman of the cloth?" Janiya mused. "Kind of reminds me of how my Mother and Uncle Kamyar were raised. They were orphans in the Temple of Rerci in Cubes. Mother did a lot of things to get money for her and Uncle Kamyar to get them out."

"Aye, but where I was from was the slums, and so the woman who took me in would raise me. But because she was only a single woman, we were often targeted by criminal scum who were looking for an easy lay, a slave to sell, or someone to lean on for money."

"And you were growing up during the more ruthless days of the Thieves Guild," Janiya realized. "I'm guessing it wasn't easy."

"It wasn't," Saladin said. "But even so, we survived...for a bit." He said sadly. "I was doing some meager chores around the slums when the Thieves Guild attacked my home and only came back to a burnt temple and a woman whose body was desecrated and executed as her head was simply on the ground."

"By Rerci…!" Janiya grimaced. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up, Saladin."

"It's okay. I simply have gotten over it. Since then I stopped believing in Rerci because at that point in my life I have yet to see any so-called miracles but death. And so I only believe there is a God of Death." He said as he looked away. "Had to get real good with fighting. The Slums with criminals all over the place wasn't any safe place for a nine-year-old."

"It makes sense you had to learn how to defend yourself," Janiya said, walking to the side. "You ever figure out who lead the attack on your stepmother's temple?"

"I did," Saladin said calmly. "But I learned it wasn't her they were after, but me..."

"What!?" the princess asked. "But… you were only a boy! What the hell were they after you for!?"

"I was born, that's why. They were ordered to have me vanish because I was born." Saladin said with anger and sadness. "Because I was born, the only parent I had in life suffered for it."

Janiya frowned. "Hey, Saladin?" she asked. "I don't think what happened was your fault. There's probably more to this. I'll ask Father and Yasmin if we can look into it, okay?"

"As much as I appreciate your offer, I have to decline, it makes no difference now. I am the Thieves Guild Archenemy, I am the Wandering Spear Saladin, and I swore by the grave of my mother's I would see all evil vanish." He said.

"Fine, but know it's on the table if you need to figure out more to it," Janiya said. "Now then, I do believe you wanted to spar?"

Saladin smiled. "Of course, you have very sloppy posture." He commented. "Do try to improve yourself, otherwise it would be laughable to know you died because of poor posture." He commented.

"Fine," Janiya said. "I'll start with my stance, and then we'll see what we can do from there."

 _ **Janiya and Saladin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Benyamin looked at the images of the battlefield and smirked at the pieces on the astral plate. He then said, "Archer at E-5 to wind manakete at G-2. Steel bow." The astral plate's hologram followed the instructions and eliminated the target. "Alright, commander's exposed… now to go for the kill."

"Ah, Benyamin! Lady Janiya says we're to begin moving out soon, so I thought that I'd come let you know!" Ria called out, poking her head into the room. "Umm…..I take it that I'm not interrupting much, am I?"

"No, Ria," Benyamin smirked. "Just testing some strategies using the astral plane. So something so old as the field of magic, people keep making discoveries with it. Such as running simulations so we have a viable strategy for a real battle."

"Sounds pretty useful. Makes you wonder though….could you run simulations on anything besides combat?" Ria mused, unconsciously flipping a coin in her left hand while she asked him. "Say…games of chance or anything like that? It could certainly be interesting….though it might seem kind of trivial."

"You'd be surprised," Benyamin answered, ending the simulation. He then showed a set of card and dice games on the astral plate. "Father once said one of Aunt Minoo's vices in her youth was money. Unfortunately, he also said he had to frequently get her out of tight spots when she was caught underage gambling to try to earn enough money to get the two of them out of the orphanage they were in. Not something you'll ever really hear in most social circles."

"Sounds scandalous to me, but I can see where she was coming from, honestly. I learned how to gamble around the inn when I was pretty young too, and you can certainly earn quite the pretty penny from a couple of games." Ria explained, pocketing the coin she was flipping. "Do you gamble or play around much, Sir Benyamin?"

"I don't often gamble," Benyamin remarked. "It's a trait I took from Father to be the 'responsible older sibling'. And even if that wasn't the case, I feel that if I did, it would be a bad habit that would eventually lead me to gamble with our allies' lives."

"Can't blame you for thinking that way, but it can be pretty fun to do in your spare time…..in moderation, of course," Ria added the last bit hastily as she thought about it. "If you'd like to learn how to play a couple of different games or play against anyone, just ask me, okay? I'm always up for a game or two."

Benyamin stared at the winged bluenette and frowned. If he had one or two weaknesses, it was a pretty face and a woman who could pout like a puppy. The latter was probably why he was so easily manipulated by Yasmin, Janiya, or Ziba growing up. But Ria, the former in his opinion, could give ALL three of those girls a run for their money in the latter department.

"...Well, I suppose it is fine to indulge every once in a while," the dark mage said. "Alright, a quick game since Janiya's expecting us. How are you at speed chess?"

"I'm familiar with it, yeah. Wouldn't consider myself an expert by any means, though." she shrugged. "I'm game. We won't be betting on this match, right?"

"No," Benyamin said, turning the astral plate to the image of a setup chess board. "I've heard your reputation… you're good at clearing out people in the taverns. Now, you're aware that you can interact with the pieces on the astral plate's images, right?"

"Is that what people are really saying about me?" Ria chuckled, walking opposite of him. "I know that. Will you be moving first or second?"

"I like to think that my parents raised me to be a gentleman," Benyamin nodded. "Ladies first."

"Why, thank you~" Ria giggled softly. "Hm….Pawn to E4." she mused, stroking her chin.

"Interesting move," Benyamin said. "Pawn to D6." The two spent the next few minutes playing. But eventually, Benyamin had lost all of his pawns, both of his castles, one of his bishops, and his queen, leaving him in check. "Damn… king to F7."

Ria wasn't faring much better either. She'd lost most of her pawns, both bishops, a rook, her knight and her queen. "Uhh…...Knight to E3?" She made the move, not realizing it left her king open to Benyamin's bishop.

Benyamin smirked, and prepared to strike… but he looked at Ria's face. He saw her doubt and confusion. She looked kind of cute like that... and then he started to blink. Was this how she suckered someone in? Making them feel bad so they let her win?

"Umm….Sir Benyamin?" Ria asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "You're sort of zoning out, here."

"Ah!" Benyamin gasped. "Bishop to C2!" Unfortunately, this was the wrong move for the dark mage, as it cost him his one chance.

"Hmm…..Knight to F5!" Ria declared, checking the king between the knight and her rook. "Not looking too good now, Sir~"

Benyamin, realizing his mistake, frowned as he looked at the board. Already, he knew that, sooner or later, Ria would beat him, now he made that error. He sighed, and said, "I yield." Standing up, he said, "I know when I am beaten, Ria. You are the victor in this little quick battle of wits."

"Wait….what?" Ria blinked. "Rerci be damned….Lady luck really came through for me!" Ria let out a sigh of relief, thanking her lucky stars.

Benyamin raised a finger to interject at her using Rerci's name like that, but quietly closed lowered it. He would let the winged pegasus knight have her moment. He only had himself to blame for getting distracted. Had he not, Benyamin might have bested her.

Instead, he said, "Well, I believe we have kept the rest of the company waiting long enough." Offering his hand to Ria, and said, "Shall we?"

"Yeah, let's be off." Ria grinned. "Thanks, Sir Benyamin, for the game. Perhaps we could play again another time?"

As they walked out, Benyamin answered, "Perhaps we will, Ria."

 _ **Ria and Benyamin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Esen let out a soft grumble as she stretched one of her arms over her head. The Mau had found a nice spot outside earlier and she couldn't resist taking a small nap, even though it had been the middle of the day. Esen was fairly certain that she had missed another chance to get in a good spar but, that was fine since she was making sure that she was well rested. Though, now that it was later in the day, Esen realized that nearly everyone was either heading to bed or, they were asleep already. Well, everyone save for the winged individual sitting outside. The Mau's curiosity was piqued just from noticing this, so she wandered over and plopped down next to them. "What'cha doin?" Esen asked while trying to look at whatever had caught Heluc's interest.

"Just looking at the stars," Heluc answered. "When you don't have a real map, you can almost always count on them keeping you on track during your treks through a night in the cold desert. Also, I'm reminded of legends in the manakete hamlet I'm from."

"What kind of legends?" Esen asked, now looking towards the male with an excited glint in her eyes.

"I forget that you are part manakete, Esen," Heluc chuckled. He then grew somber. "Well, for me, when a manakete dies, their spirit either becomes a star or becomes a rotten fruit. It's kind of like the humans' 'Afterlife' for good spirits and 'Hell' for bad spirits. I don't think I really need to specify which one is the good one."

"That sounds nice." Esen said honestly. She could tell that this was something that Heluc had been thinking about for a little while due to how his tone changed. "What other legends are there?" Esen prodded, hoping to change the subject into a lighter one.

"Well, where do I begin?" Heluc smirked. "For starters, there's the biggest one, that our matriarch, Miss Adre, once collapsed a castle in a single punch. But you're probably looking for something in terms of the manaketes of ancient history. Well, there's the obvious one about Rerci and Gargec."

Esen was smiling now that she had succeeded in changing the topic. "I've heard a little bit about them but, not the whole legend. My Tribe's elders focused on our own stories." The Mau gave a short laugh. "Still, if it's okay, I'd like to hear it."

"Well, I'll keep it short," Heluc said. "As you know, Gargec committed the back-then unforgiveable sin of marrying a genie and producing a hybrid, Rerci. Humans, manaketes, and genies all found out, eventually, and a war was fought, Rerci lost Her mother, and now spends the rest of Her days in the Eternal Forge until somebody sets Her free. That's what most people know. What they DON'T know is that there are legends that the place Rerci was sealed, the Eternal Forge, was actually the old lands of the manakete people."

"Old lands?" Esen slightly tilted her head in confusion. "What were those?"

"The old lands were a place of great wonder and riches," Heluc answered. "But due to overpopulation because our people bred like rabbits, a great number of us had to leave to preserve our race. Those who ignored the warnings that we were running out of room, however… no idea what happened to them."

Esen hummed lightly in thought for a moment before speaking up once more. "If you could, would you want to go there? To the old lands?"

"Yeah, I would," Heluc said. "Hey, it's getting late. Why not continue these discussions later? Like after the next battle, perhaps?"

"Sure!" Esen beamed as she stood up. "Don't forget though, or I'll have to play a prank on you." The smile she gave after saying those last few words was innocent but, the gleam in Esen's eyes was nothing short of mischievous.

 _ **Esen and Heluc have reached Support Level C.**_

Saladin was looking over the herbal medication that he received from all the grateful villages that he had aided in his career and was looking over the possible combinations of recipes that gave him the best effect for the situations. Then he noticed that the healer, Caspar was heading to him.

"Greetings, Saladin," Caspar smirked. He then noticed the recipe book in Saladin's hands. "Well, well… what do we have here?"

"It is a book of recipes on herbal medication that I have made for myself during my travels," Saldin explained. "While healing magic is always useful, I find that herbal medication can deal with certain ailments and illnesses better than magic can," Saladin said to Caspar. "Not to mention, due to my lack of magical prowess, herbal medication has kept me in good condition for years."

"Really?" Caspar asked. "Well, I'll have you know that while I happen to be a manservant to Lady Janiya and trained in healing magic, I have an appreciation for treating wounds with my hands rather than my staff. Don't ask why."

"I suppose so." Saladin commented. "I always find herbal medication to be quite useful." He commented as he took off his armored top and revealed some of the scars he had received over the years, some of which made Caspar wince a bit. "This scar right here?" He said pointing to a nasty dagger slash scar on his right side. "Came from a drunken man, whose wife was hitting on me in a bar after I guarded some merchant caravans and I was resting," he commented.

"Ooh, and I thought I've seen enough scars to get past grievous wounds like this," Caspar muttered. Aloud, he said, "Did you stitch yourself up after that one, or was there a healer nearby?"

"To people that live within the capital and inner villages, healers would be a more common sight," Saladin said. "But out on the outer villages where money and resources are not so high? I stitched up all of my wounds you see here without any form of painkillers." He said to Caspar, as he pointed to a nasty scar on his left pectoral. "That one came from a brothel owner who got a little bit too attached to me and wanted me to stay with her." He said.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," the servant nodded in agreement. To himself more than Saladin, he said, "One should be gentle when letting a lady down." He then remembered Saladin's words, and said, "That's rather impressive self-healing. Perhaps you can teach me a few things."

"I do not mind doing so," Saladin said with a nod. "It would always be useful to have more advanced medical knowledge to aid you. And some of my stitches and herbal knowledge were said to be rather high by some healers who wanted to know how I managed to stay alive for so long."

"I can tell," Caspar said, looking over Saladin's wounds. "It's not every day a freelance soldier from the outer villages could survive on their own, especially one with an Ustrosi Thieves Guild bounty." Looking at Saladin's face, the servant said, "But Saladin, know that you're no longer on your own. So feel free to rely on people like me. Sometimes self-medication alone won't save you."

Saladin blinked at that but nodded. "Very well, I shall try to rely more on others, but keep in mind that I have been wandering by myself for a long time, so expect some difficulties here and there." He said to Caspar. "So do you wish to learn the disinfecting herbs first or the blood clotting herbs first?" He then asked.

Caspar thought about it. "Let's start with the disinfecting herbs. It's usually step one to disinfect a wound before stopping the bleeding."

Saladin nodded. "Very well then," he said.

 _ **Caspar and Saladin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Saiduq grunted lowly as he breathed heavily on a training field surrounded by training dummies, or rather what remained of them that looked like they had been torn to shreds by a hurricane with how dismembered the dummies were rather than the man now grunting in frustration as he stabbed his spear into the soil. Grunting to himself as a young soldier approached with a jug of water and cup for the commander. "What was my time boy?"

The young man merely stuttering for a moment before righting himself. "T-two minutes forty-one seconds to destroy all thirty-seven dummies, sir."

Saiduq himself shaking his head in discontent. "I'm getting too slow. I suppose not being on the front lines of war for so long will even rust my skills. But I have an obligation to His Majesty as his sword and shield to further polish myself to protect him… this paltry demonstration is nothing. Bring me forty more training dolls. And make sure to continue timing me." The young man nodding and saluting before running off in another direction, allowing the stern expression of Saiduq to fade without observers as he sighed in frustration at his own lack of progress, knowing the pinnacle of his strength he sought still eluded him and remained insufficient to handle the expectations he had of himself.

Emerald walked into the training field and blinked at the destruction. "Commander?" the green pegasus knight asked. "Was all of this… you?"

Turning around at the voice of a woman, he noted the Pegasus Knight and sighed, nodding his head. "Yes, it seems I'm getting sloppy though… My timing was too slow, and my strikes lack the power they used to… It seems even my own training is insufficient still compared to being on the frontlines…" Shaking his head he took a deep sigh before looking at Emerald again, spinning his spear a few times to flick off the dirt before holding it casually. "Wallowing in my own ineptness will accomplish little, however. Was there something you needed of me Lady Emerald?"

"Actually, no, Commander," Emerald answered. She sighed, knowing that he would probably figure her out. "I was just coming to prepare myself for our next assignment since Lady Yasmin and Lady Janiya are busy planning our next move. And while the other retainers are most likely taking a break, I figured sneaking in a little more training. Although I had to convince Lady Yasmin and Rosetta both that I was 'taking it easy' since I fell off my pegasus after the last battle." Looking around the mock battlefield, she said, "Still, at least you did all of this single-handed. I'd be lucky to get half of these in twice the time you did."

Saiduq hummed for a moment in approval before spinning his lance once more as the young soldier had returned with a group of other soldiers setting down the dummies in place before hurrying off to their own training, not wishing for a reprimand for 'slacking off' in the eyes of the Commander. Turning to the dummies he took a soft yet sharp intake of breath before speaking. "This is nothing when you go through as many battles as I have milady. However, you still have plenty of room to grow as a soldier." Spinning his spear and swiftly beheading one of the dummies in one swift swipe he turned to her. "It's been a fair while since I had seen a soldier with the drive you have. It pleases me to know that King Darius and I have such capable retainers for the Princesses. If you ever need aid in training on your lancework from the ground rather than pegasus back, I'd be willing to instruct, if you are willing to learn from someone like myself." He smirked to her as he took another swipe, tearing the top half off three dummies lined up in a row. "Because I see plenty of room for improvement and space to become quite a fine soldier in someone as devoted to training as yourself."

"Thank you, Commander," Emerald replied. "I will strive to become one such soldier." As she watched him continue to tear through the dummies, she said, "If I may ask, who taught you your technique? It's brutal, yet efficient. Not to mention slightly familiar…."

Saiduq merely hummed as he casually went through his drills and responded after having already half the dummies bisected from various swift yet heavy strikes. "It's good to see someone strive to become a proper soldier to defend her people and rulers. As for my instruction and technique, it would be from the training of my late father the Martial Lord, Hussain Il-Hazaad." Stopping after most of the training dummies the young soldier brought mere moments ago were left in tatters. Finishing off the remainder in just under the two-minute mark seemed to satisfy the young Commander. "As for recognizable, I should hope so, otherwise it would bring shame to the spearplay of House Il-Hazaad. So tell me Lady Emerald, what exactly drives you to become a soldier?"

"Well, it was initially less than noble reasons," Emerald said as she began to stretch. "Like you, Rose and I don't have a father anymore. Or a mother. Our parents were less warriors and more traveling merchants. Unfortunately, the merchant world in Giuss is a far more subtle battlefield than the actual battlefield… they were betrayed and killed there, leaving Rosetta and me in an orphanage.

"With what our parents left us, I managed to convince Rosetta that joining the military would benefit us. We compromised on being pegasus knights since Rose found pegasi cute and Cruibia's pegasus knights have been known to be fierce valkyries. While Rosetta maintained enough to be an average soldier with above average strength, and she does very well as domestic duties for being Lady Yasmin's retainer that Ria and I don't really have to worry about, I pushed myself to learn everything I could to become the best of the best… becoming appointed Lady Yasmin's retainer by King Darius was a happy accident, and I agreed as long as Rosetta could come, too. However, as frustrating as she is at times with her head in the clouds, I love her too much to let her go. Well, both of them." She then stopped and grabbed her lance after noticing Saiduq's soldiers once more brought in training dummies. "Do you mind if I take these ones?"

Saiduq shrugged and gave her space. "By all means, if you wish to continue improving feel free." Placing his back against the wall he began observing her spearplay before speaking again. "I'm rather grateful for your honesty in motivation. But when you said your goal was less than noble, you sell yourself short. The soldiers of Cruiba aren't mindless and selfless saints. Many of the rank-and-file is filled with men and women similar to yourself, motivated by family, money, experience, and power. Others can be driven by morals, discipline, tradition, and obligation like myself. What we don't want are mindless drones who merely act because they are told to. Which makes you as much a sister-in-arms to those who are many years your senior and junior, so long as you do not blindly become a fanatic." He continued watching her as he spoke this time with a small chuckle at her words of her sister. "You are fortunate to have a sister to motivate you so. A piece of advice for you Lady Emerald, when in the open fields of war, do not hesitate to motivate yourself with thoughts of family when you are on the brink of defeat. Motivation can be a powerful force indeed during war."

"Very sound and noble advice, Commander," Emerald said, slicing down a final training dummy. "Fight for my sister… fight for milady." She then thought about it, and asked, "I take it you fight for the king since you answer directly to him?"

Saiduq laughed softly and nodded at her question. "Aye, I do. Just as my father and forefathers always have. The Head of House Il-Hazaad has served the Royal Family since the foundation of Cruiba as the Martial Lord or Lady for the Kings and Queens. My late father Lord Hussain Il-Hazaad served King Darius and his father before him as the Martial Lord of Cruiba until his untimely passing from illness. If we can survive this conflict then I myself will likely inherit the title of Martial Lord as long as King Darius and his heir, or in this case, heiress approves of me taking the mantle. For now, however, I am still too young and green to take on my father's title and so I serve as a Commander and prove my worth on the open fields of combat to the best of my ability."

"Then it seems you and I will, in time, both have to get used to working together, seeing as I'm a retainer to Lady Yasmin, who, if Rerci permits it, will rule Cruibia," Emerald smiled. "So, future partner… how was my time?"

Saiduq nodded, resting his own spear against his shoulder. "We shall see. Let's think about whether the First Princess will succeed King Darius once we handle this war with a Rerci forsaken djinn and these Argelian Neo-Crusaders. King Darius has many years ahead of him with his prowess… As far as your time goes, however… it could afford to have been quicker. Focus less on your arms, and more on your footwork. Keep on a constant move. You try too hard to compensate for a lack of raw strength with force that your body cannot accommodate. Your sister is better suited for hard strikes, you as a technical warrior needs to focus more on your speed, letting yourself guide the spear, rather than the spear guiding you with its momentum. You have the opposite problem of Princess Janiya and your sister, while they are not cautious enough to survive the battlefield as they are, you are too cautious and lose your chances to land a decisive killing blow because you are thinking too much on your movements when they should be second nature."

"Good advice," Emerald nodded. "I'll work on my footwork."

"You mean after I give you an earful for disobeying my order to take it easy for a little bit and let yourself heal properly?" a female voice chimed in.

"...Commander?" Emerald questioned. "What is the likelihood that, if I turn around at this particular second, Lady Yasmin is behind me and she is in one of her rare livid moments?"

Saiduq merely smiled rather awkwardly as he bowed politely to the princess behind Emerald. "Rather high actually. In fact, I would recommend a tactical retreat and not even turning around, as this is a situation neither of us are appropriately prepared for. In fact…" Rather than finishing his statement, he bowed once more before making a very quick and tactical retreat leaving the green haired woman to fend for herself as he slinks away, not bothering to complete his train of thought verbally, very well aware that it was his only course of action as he was TECHNICALLY complicit in the insubordination of Emerald to continue training. 'I am sorry, Lady Emerald, but sometimes a concrete victory requires some lesser sacrifices... I hope you will one day understand the sagacity of this retreat and do not think poorly of me for ensuring my own hide at your expense…'

"Hey!" Emerald called, but Yasmin's hand was quicker than the pegasus knight's feet. Her ear was grabbed, and she was forced to look at Yasmin's rather intimidating glare and an annoyed tick on her forehead. Emerald barely let loose a whimper.

"Commander Il-Hazaad was right about one thing," Yasmin said. "You really should work on that footwork… **AFTER YOU FINISH HEALING!"** She then dragged a protesting Emerald away. "Honestly, would it kill you to follow healer's orders?"

 _ **Saiduq and Emerald have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Yasmin said she'd be here," Janiya frowned, looking around the tavern. "Where is Ria? You'd think it would be easy finding a bluenette with wings, here."

Ria was sitting at the end of the bar with two other people, playing a game of cards. She'd amassed a small pile of coins on her side of the table, as she laid down her hand. "Four of a kind. Good luck beating that hand." She smiled smugly, before noticing Janiya.

"There you are!" the younger of the princesses said. "So, this is the tavern your family runs, huh?"

"Ah, Lady Janiya! Yeah, this is the Tavern we run." Ria grinned as she grabbed her small pile, dumping it in her purse, and walking over. "I'd like to think that its quite the cozy place, but I'll let you decide.. Anyway, did you come over here to look for me? I should be able to get someone else to cover for me if you need me for anything…"

"No, I just wanted to talk," Janiya said. "I realized that even though you work for my big sister, with the exception of the fact that she has an obsession with pegasus knights, I don't know a whole lot about the people she has. I'm aiming to fix that, starting with you."

"Well, that's rather sweet of you. Take a seat, and I'll get you a drink. Then you can ask me whatever you want!" Ria smiled, gesturing towards an empty table, walking off and returning with 2 glasses.

Janiya nodded, "Thanks," before taking one of the glasses. She looked around, trying to figure out what to discuss. She then noticed Ria playing with her trademark lucky coin Yasmin mentioned she had and relaxing her wings, and said, "So, have you always had that coin, Ria?"

"Oh, this? Yeah, I've had it for quite a while. Ever since I was a kid, really. It's my personal lucky charm, and I got it when I was about... 9 or so? I helped out a starving manakete and he handed me this. He said it'd bring me great luck, and so far, it seems to have worked!" Ria explained.

"I'll say," Janiya said. "Our last battle, I could have sworn you were surrounded by enemies. Yet by the time anyone reached you, you were completely okay. I know you're skilled, which is why Father made you one of Yasmin's retainers. But no warrior around our age is THAT skilled without serious training. So how does THAT work?"

"Heck if I know. All I can tell you is that I'm a pretty lucky person. Things usually tend to turn out well if it has anything to do with chance….well, most of the time. It _is_ chance, after all." Ria shrugged, passing her coin to Janiya to have a look. All in all, it didn't look very special.

"...Have you ever actually seen the manakete who gave you this, again?" Janiya asked, flipping the coin over to make sure there was nothing odd about it. "You ever wanted to figure out what he was up to when you saved his life?"

"I never saw him again. I'd certainly like to, though, to thank him for this." Ria answered, resting her head on her hands. "...Although I am kind of curious about what he was up to. I never really thought about it too much in the past."

"Well, if you see or hear about him," Janiya said, handing the coin back, "don't be afraid to figure him out." She then grabbed the glass and took a sip.

"I'll be sure to do that. Thanks for reminding me." Ria replied, pocketing her coin as she took a sip from her own glass. "Anyway, was there anything else you wanted to know about little 'ol me?"

"Well, I was going to ask about your wings, next," Janiya said. "But I didn't want to be rude."

"It's fine, no need to worry," Ria said. "Trust me, I'm used to questions on my wings. Anyway, where to start…..well, you can obviously tell that since I'm a hybrid, my Mum was a Roc and fell in love with my Dad. When I was born, I got these." She pointed towards her wings. "...but they're not very strong. They're certainly not as good as Rocs' Wings. They're good for short flights, but nothing too big. So no extended flights and no long flights. It's pretty handy for small things, but not enough to warrant combat use."

"That explains that," Janiya smiled. "And probably why you're drawn to a pegasus. What little of bird-folk that I know is that most are drawn to the air, so a pegasus kind of compensates."

"You're correct. Flying really is exhilarating, so I chose to become one when I joined the army. I used to be slightly interested in Magic when I was a kid, but it wasn't anything I'd call myself overly passionate about." Ria replied.

"Wow, interested in magic, too? I've learned a lot about you, Ria!" Janiya smiled. She then looked at the clock nearby. "Uh-oh. I have to get ready for training. I'm sorry to cut this short."

"It's fine. They'll probably get mad if you're late for training, so you'd best hurry, Lady Janiya. Come over anytime you want to talk." Ria grinned, standing up. "And the drinks are on the house. Now, get going!"

"I will," Janiya said. "See you later. And take care of my big sister and yourself, okay?"

"You bet I will, milady," Ria replied waving goodbye.

 _ **Janiya and Ria have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Ziba walked with Yasmin, the two looking through the town. "So," Yasmin questioned, "what made you decide you wanted to spend one-on-one time with your dear older cousin today?"

"Oh, simple," Ziba said. "I've been thinking about what I want to do about being a healer, and you're one of the best healers I know, Yasmin."

"Aw, thank you!" Yasmin smiled. "Well, I try to be a good healer."

"So what made you want to be a healer, Yasmin?" Ziba asked. "I wanted to do so because I don't like seeing people hurt, and Father taught me. But what about you?"

"That's a long story," Yasmin mused. "Back when I was younger, I often prayed to the gods. To Rerci, to Awdue, to Gargec that peace would reign. The local pastor in Cubes noticed my faith and offered me a chance to learn from the clerics, priestesses, and enchanters at the Temple about treating the ill, both mentally and physically. When I returned home to Bagedzi, Mother was surprised but encouraged me to follow in the footsteps of the clerics. It was something she once told me that she regretted not staying with the Temple and becoming a priestess the conventional way. But what really convinced me to stay was my first time visiting Poswa."

"Ooh," Ziba grinned, "is this about—"

"Yep!" Yasmin beamed. "The time I met my best Poswali friend, Lamia Gerges!"

"...What." Ziba questioned, staring at her cousin.

"Yeah, she's a fellow noble in Poswa who happens to have trained in the art of healing," Yasmin elaborated. "She taught me quite a few tricks, including a technique of super channeling your magic through your staff to heal a critical patient, and even some apothecary techniques about making and producing medicine."

"Oh," Ziba said. "So, does this Lamia person have anything to do with—"

"Actually, yes," Yasmin said. "She's my fiance's retainer, so we naturally will be reunited. Who knows? She may be able to teach you a few things I can't."

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet your good friend," Ziba said. "I wonder what other stories you have, Yasmin."

"Quite a few, little cousin," Yasmin smiled, hugging Ziba. "Quite a few. I'll tell you all about them."

 _ **Yasmin and Ziba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Elahe was humming to herself as she walked on the outskirts of the camp. She simply stopped humming and sighed as she found a rock to sit on and just sat there staring up into the sky for a bit.

"Do you wish for some company?" A male voice spoke up as Elahe blinked and turned around to see that it was Saladin, their newest member, walking up to her with two mugs in his hand.

Elahe hummed for a bit as thought about before nodding. "Sure, I could use the company right about now." She said as Saladin nodded and got close to her as he offered up a mug to her, which she gratefully accepted, and drank it.

"...Is there something bothering you right about now?" Saladin asked after they simply sat there in comfortable silence.

Elahe looked to Saladin when he said that. She considered not telling him or just brushing him off, but...she had a feeling that he was rather neutral for the time being. "I guess you can say that." She said as Saladin stayed quiet as he motioned for her to continue. "At times in my life, it's not easy being a Djinn as you know, we have to go through a lot as of late and most of the time resentment build up, you know?" She started off.

Saladin nodded. "I have heard of your history," he stated. "Does it have something to do with the fact your fellow djinn do not seem to want to change?" He asked politely and straight to the point.

Elahe looked down for a moment and sighed. "It's just...I can't believe that they were willing do do that so easily." She said in frustration. "How could they just justify harming a bunch of people over the actions of something their ancestors did so long ago? How could they be so willing to jump to follow...her?" She questioned with disgust.

"It's because people are flawed," Saladin said as Elahe turned and blinked at him. "So long as people are mortal, so long as people are flawed, we will always have those that fall to their weaknesses." He said as he stared at her calmly. "Regardless of where we come from, or who we are a part of, we are always bound to make mistakes, that is the way of the world." He finished off.

Elahe turned down and laughed somewhat sadly at that. "We are rather pathetic, aren't we?" She questioned as she looked down.

"Perhaps," Saladin admitted. "But even so, just keep on saying even so," he said as Elahe turned to him again. "Even when people are flawed, we must overcome them, that is the way of the world as well. We simply just have to keep on believing that while the past is sad, the present can seem even worse at times...we have to believe that the future can be better." He said seriously.

Elahe looked at him as he said that. She wanted to believe in that, she really did, but she had a feeling things were going to get worse before they become better. Still, it didn't hurt to try at the very least. So she smiled at him. "You know what? I might try that." She said to him.

 _ **Saladin and Elahe have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Janiya walked from her latest training session. "Well, that was quite the workout," Janiya sighed. "Now, time for a relaxing soak, and then… huh?" She looked at the mischievous half-mau, half-manakete she recently picked up, snickering to herself. "Esen, what are you doing?"

The young Mau seemed to flinch before cautiously turning around to face Janiya with a nervous smile. "Hey, Janiya!" Esen said with a forced cheer as she shuffled slightly to the side while simultaneously hiding her hands behind her back. "What'cha doing out here?"

"I just got finished with a training session," Janiya said. "Speaking of training, you've been somewhat slacking behind. I know you're a shapeshifter, but if you're going to be clinging with me and the rest of my unit until you find your siblings, I'm going to need to see a little bit more effort from you, Esen." She then noticed Esen's behavior. "What do you have behind your back?"

Esen shifted a little bit more under Janiya's gaze, especially after her question. "Nothin." The Mau said unconvincingly as her eyes darted to the side for a second. She seemed to know that she had been caught if her actions were anything to go by.

Janiya shook her head with a small smile. "Look, Esen, as a little sister myself, I can kind of tell when someone is trying to cutely hide something. It's why I can tell when Ziba is up to something naughty whenever I see her. And unfortunately, how I've gotten myself in trouble with Yasmin and Father multiple times. So, if it's just something innocent, I'm not going to get mad, I swear to Rerci Herself. So, just come out and say it."

"W-well…." Esen's ears twitched slightly atop her head as she fidgeted again. Her eyes darted from the side to Janiya and back before she finally let out a defeated sigh. "Alright. Here." The Mau said as she produced a pair of shoes out from behind her back.

"Shoes?" Janiya asked. "Why do those look familiar…?"

Esen laughed nervously before she answered. "I sorta got them from Yasmin's room. She had about twenty other pairs so I didn't think she'd notice if I swiped these for a little while. I was just gonna hide them in someone else's room." Esen seemed a little embarrassed after admitting her plan.

"Oh," Janiya said. "That explains the designer brand. Sis always did have nice tastes, but did she really have to bring ALL of her shoes?" She then said to Esen, "So, how did you manage to not only pick the lock of our room but also get past Emerald? That takes quite a bit of work!"

The Mau seemed to twitch and fidget even more, while one of her ears flicked backward for a moment. "Well, it's a funny story really…." Esen trailed off, staring at the ground seemingly lost in thought, or at least that's what it would have seemed to look like if she didn't look ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Janiya, noticing Esen's nervousness, raised a hand. "Hey, Esen, how about this?" She extended her hand. "I have to go back to my room, anyway, so why not let me have the shoes, and I'll take the blame if Yasmin finds out they were 'borrowed' without her permission? Yasmin won't kill me, because of sisterly love. Once she's calmed down, then you and I can talk about this, and any other issues that you may have?"

With those words, Esen seemed to perk up as her entire nervous demeanor from before all but vanished. "Really!? Then here!" The Mau promptly shoved the stolen shoes into Janiya's hands, all while giving a pleased grin. "You're a great friend Janiya! Hopefully, they don't yell at you too much."

"You're welcome… wait, what?" Janiya asked, but Esen already ran away. She then looked down the hall to the room she and Yasmin were sharing, only to see the door handle and lock completely severed. "...What have I agreed to?"

"Sister, what happened?" Yasmin asked as she walked in. She then gasped, looking at the lock, and then her shoes in Janiya's hands. Janiya sighed.

"My key broke, and I mistook your shoes for my dance practice shoes," she lied.

 _ **Janiya and Esen have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Rosetta~" Ria called out, flipping a coin in her hand as she strolled over to her friend. "I've got some time to kill, care to go for a couple of games with me? Drinks are on me~"

"Hey, Ria!" the pinkette pegasus knight beamed. "Sure, I'll play! What's the game, girlfriend?"

"Blackjack sound any good to you?" Ria grinned, snatching the coin she'd been flipping out of the air. "I've got a good feeling about this game, so I hope you'll be bringing your A-game."

"Blackjack?" Rosetta asked, tilting her head. "That's the game where you try to get as close to 21 but don't go over, right?"

"Yeah that's the one. I don't suppose that this is your first time playing?" Ria asked, grabbing Rosetta's hand and walking towards the tavern.

"Yeah," Rosetta admitted. "Sis didn't do too many card games, so I had to hear about it in the academy."

"Well, it'll be something new then. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you~" Ria reassured her.

"Oh, this will be fun!" Rosetta smiled. Several minutes later, she was frowning at the fact that she was, once again, out of money. "Darn it! Busted out again!"

"Heh. There _are_ a couple of tricks to the game y'know." Ria chuckled, looking at the small pile of coins she'd amassed. "I'd be willing to teach you, of course…and you can have some of this so we can keep this up." She pushed some of the coins towards her friend, waving at the bartender for another round of drinks.

"Thanks for that," Rosetta said, finishing her drink. "I wish Em was more inclined to play games like this. It's nice to take our free time from Lady Yasmin just… relaxing."

"I suppose so. It _can_ get awfully dreadful at times." Ria remarked, sipping her glass. "...Say, what made you want to become a pegasus knight?"

"Well, Emerald would say we did it since the army was one of the easiest ways to get money that… wasn't involving the streets after our parents died and what money they left us was running out," Rosetta admitted. "However, I liked the idea of flying through the sky. You?"

"Well….there's a serious reason and a silly reason." Ria blushed slightly. "I chose to be a pegasus knight since I love flying too, but my wings aren't quite enough for flying long distances… or even extended periods of time for that matter." She sighed sadly as she said that, her wings giving a couple of small flaps. "The second reason is…...well….."

"You're looking for something?" Rosetta concluded as their drinks finally came. "Or is it that 'special someone'? I know you're a romantic, Ria."

"Uhh…..you're….correct." Ria blushed a bit harder, sipping her drink as she admitted it. "Well, I used to read tons of those trashy romance novels involving all those pegasus knights….the might have influenced me a little."

"Imaging being swept off your feet by some strong, handsome lord?" Rosetta asked. "If only Cruibia had a princeling or two. Oh well, there's always some noble men."

"Doesn't have to be a noble or a princeling, though that would be nice." Ria sighed, sipping her drink. "As long as he's nice, and loves me….I"m fine. ...Could be a "she" too, I'm not picky."

"They'd be a lucky person, whoever they are, to have you," Rosetta smiled. She picked up her glass, and said, "Well, here's to a hopefully long and prosperous friendship, Ria. And the hope that one day, I WON'T be losing what's left of my paycheck to you."

"To friendship….and you learning not to gamble against me next time." Ria grinned, clinking her glass against Rosetta's. "Well, I'll be willing to lend you money if you're ever short, of course."

"Thanks, Ria," Rosetta smirked. The door to the tavern swung open, and the two looked to see Emerald at the door. "Oh pegasus dung."

"Finish your drinks, ladies, then sober up," Emerald called them. "The next march is about to happen, and I don't want you falling off your pegasi."

"You're the one with the weak tolerance, sis!" Rosetta called. She took a swig of her drink, and said, "Well, looks like break's over, Ria."

"Seems that way." Ria sighed. "Well, it's been fun. I'll see you later, I suppose." She fished a couple of coins from the pile on the table, passing them to the barkeep.

 _ **Ria and Rosetta have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Saladin was walking towards the training grounds hoping to get some practice in before he tuned in for the night as he soon reached the training grounds. He saw that the archer known as Payam was practicing shooting at targets and the speed of which he managed to shoot down each target interested Saladin as he walked over to him.

"Saladin, right?" Payam asked, firing one last arrow. It hit the final target dead center. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I was hoping to get some training in before the night ends, as one must always ready themselves for battle no matter what. And then I noticed your skill with the bow and arrow and I have an idea I would like to try out with your permission," he said.

"An idea?" the musically-inclined archer questioned. "What is it?"

"As you may know, trying to avoid arrows with our shields is what us soldiers typically do," Saladin started off as Payam nodded. "What I want to try doing is to not use our shields, as that can force us to slow down while giving time for the enemy's heavy hitters to rush in and push us away. I wish to try hitting arrows out of the sky with only my spear as well as evading them," he said.

"Let me see if I've got this right," Payam frowned. "You want me to try to shoot you, and you're only going to use your natural agility to evade and your weapon to block my arrows?"

"High risk, high reward type of situation," Saladin nodded. "I remember many times in my career I almost got taken out because of arrows forcing me to slow down and then getting ganged up on by more melee inclined units. I believe that this would also serve as training for you as well. Imagine having a hard time trying to hit rather agile units but you're able to shoot them down because you can track down where they would move before they can get away," he said.

"Well, Lady Janiya has done just as crazy with her training," Payam confessed. "Let me get some practice arrows before we do this."

"Of course." Saladin nodded as Payam went off to grab the arrows and Saladin easily hung up his shield and then stretched a bit as he waited for Payam to return, which he did about two minutes later.

"Alright," Payam said. "Let's start slow, and then see where we can go from there."

"Of course." Saladin said as he moved up to the end of one field with Payam at the other. As he then motioned his arm upwards for Payam to start.

Payam drew an arrow, and aimed at Saladin, firing at the soldier's right arm. Then much to Payam's shock he was able to completely knock it out of the air with his spear as the practice arrow clattered to the side. And Saladin simply motioned for him to try again. Payam simply fired not one but two arrows now for Saladin to strike down.

And this time, Saladin ran forward. He was able to calmly duck down underneath the arrows that were fired at him and was able to get right back up to continue running towards Payam.

Payam then cursed as he upped his speed and number of arrows and fired them again at Saladin, who by some luck of the gods or whatnot, was barely able to jump up and twisted his body and maneuvered through all four arrows.

Payam tried again and for once in his life, he could not help but feel the competitive zeal pumping in his blood and he upped his speed again and his number of arrows and this time one of them managed to scratch Saladin's upper elbow and he stopped.

"We are done, and this is as far as I can go for now," Saladin said breathing a bit heavily as Payam looked at the field and was surprised that Saladin was able to reach almost half of the field within that time he fired his arrows.

"Halfway?" Payam whispered, surprised at the session. "I guess I needed this more than I thought…."

"If there's anything that I have learned in my life, it is that there is always a bigger predator out in the dessert," Saladin said as he tossed him a water canteen. "It is good for the both of us, we know our limitations and now we have a starting point to improve ourselves." Saladin said as he looked to Payam. "How did it feel?" he asked.

"You know…. kind of nice to actually try with my bow," the musical archer replied. "I think everyone in our party would like for me to improve my archery skills."

"So long as we are mere mortals, we can continue to improve." Saladin said with a small smile. "By accepting that we are not there at our full potential, there is always room for improvement."

"Well, that is certainly true," Payam said, sheathing his bow. "I now have something to look forward to besides improving my playing."

"I'm glad to give you a new hobby," Saladin chuckled and soon enough Payam joined as well. "I can tell this is going to be the start of a new friendship."

 _ **Saladin and Payam have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Okay, let me make this perfectly clear, princeling," Benyamin scowled at the image of Sulaiman. "You have NO damn idea what you are doing, and whom you're marrying. Yasmin isn't just the crown princess of Cruibia, but its heart. If I had my way, you, a Poswali prince, wouldn't even be anywhere NEAR her because of our nations' histories… and because I'm the closest thing to an older brother that she has. But that's beside the point." Summoning a ball of lightning in his hands, he continued, "The point here is that if I ever hear even the slightest inclination that you've broken her heart, you will face one of the strongest magi of all of Cruibia. And the odds of an unbound ifrit surviving such fury has been rather slim."

Yasmin walked in, and said, "Ben, what are you doing?"

Benyamin looked up at Yasmin, who was playfully scowling at her elder cousin. He dispersed the ball of lightning magic, and the image of Sulaiman faded. "Yasmin, I, um… what are you doing here?"

"Aunt Etti said you'd be up here, and I wanted to talk to you," Yasmin said. "I did respect your privacy by knocking, but I'm asserting my limited authority as a crown princess and your cousin by coming in. Anyway, why are you practicing threats to Sulaiman?"

"...Permission to speak my mind, Yasmin?"

"You're my cousin, of course."

"I just don't trust your fiancée, that's all," Benyamin admitted. "I really think you ought to consider marrying someone else if you have to get married."

"Oh, Rerci, not you, too," Yasmin sighed. "Well, fine, let's talk about exactly what is it about HIM that you can't trust."

Benyamin began pacing around the room, and said, "For starters, he's Poswali royalty. Need I remind you, Yasmin, that Sultan Wisaam, his grandfather, slew your paternal grandparents in cold blood when he believed they had killed his wife, and Prince Aseel was the mastermind behind the whole war, to begin with? And that does not even mention Sultan Mecca… he's technically a kinslayer… and a kingslayer. Heck, he even nearly killed your father."

"I will give you Sultan Wisaam and definitely Prince Aseel," Yasmin said. "Wisaam for being easily deceived and quick to lash out, and Aseel for his horrible actions. However, Sultan Mecca didn't WANT to kill to his uncle until his uncle proved to be an absolute monster who wouldn't stop until all of Orobia was his to control. And Poswa's had a bad history of putting family against each other, especially brothers. Sultan Mecca is a good man once you get past his intimidating exterior, and was a pretty decent sultan before the Widowing Massacre hardened him. Even then, he still loves and trusts his sons. He's just not as affectionate as Father is to Janiya and me. Also, to be fair, Father kind of started the whole 'two kings trying to kill each other' thing."

"Alright, point two," Benyamin said. "I should take this moment to remind you that he is a spare prince. Poswa's had a bad history of secondborn nobles being manipulative schemers. And you and Janiya have each, in these trying times, sought his counsel."

"You know, I think I've addressed this with Janiya, once," Yasmin frowned. "And I think she admitted that there was no way a ten-year-old Sulaiman could safely manipulate it so he'd save my life from brigands and I fell for him on his own. And I would be able to tell if he was up to something, or did you forget the Fire Emblem fragment around my neck? I can use it to detect LIES atop of seeing the future."

"Well, that tore a huge hole in my argument," Benyamin said. "But he is also one-quarter ifrit. Ifrits, if I've read up on them correctly, are the most likely species of djinn to act on dark intentions and cause chaos. Case in point, Sizah."

"Sizah is just one ifrit who gives the rest of the species a bad name," Yasmin argued. "My counterpoint is Mother and Aunt Etti's best friend: Sultana Farah." Benyamin paused his pacing. "She was Sulaiman's mother, and one of the kindest women in the world, and in the brief time I knew her, she was such a joy to be around. She was like a third mom to me, the other being Aunt Etti." With a few tears slipping from her eyes, she said, "Rarely did anyone ever see her truly angry, and Mother told me that although Queen Kalia often mended their physical wounds, Farah kept the group's heart alive. She and Mother had been with each other since they first met in Cubes. The only time they ever split up was once they married the loves of their lives. Even so, they stayed in touch all the time. I would have never met Sulaiman had Mother and Sultana Farah never met." She then asked, "Where did all of this doubt and anger come from, Benyamin? Why don't you trust Sulaiman?"

"...Because I want so hard to keep you and the rest of the family safe," the dark mage answered. "Even though you're the crown princess, it's my duty as the eldest to keep my family safe." He then sighed, "I'm going to go ahead and head downstairs. I'm sorry I can't talk about what you wanted, Yasmin. I need to clear my head." He then walked out, looking frustrated. He didn't even see Yasmin frowning in concern.

"...Ben… what's happened to you?" she asked herself. "You used to not be so intense…."

 _ **Benyamin and Yasmin have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

Ziba got off her camel and began feeding him. "Good boy, Bassam," she cooed, petting the camel. The little troubadour then heard human steps on the rough sand, making her jump. "Hmm?" Ziba questioned, brandishing her staff. "W-Who's there…?"

"Calm yourself, it is only I," the male voice spoke up revealing to be Saladin. "So you must be Ziba, a pleasure to meet you properly." He said as he bowed a bit, catching her by surprise. "It must have been a little bit hard to not only heal but to also care for you animal companion as well." He said as he motioned to Bassam.

"Well, I've had plenty of good teachers," Ziba smiled. "I had to beg Mother and Father for my own camel and riding lessons. You'd think a magically inclined family like ours would have SOMEONE be a troubadour before me, but no."

Saladin chuckled at that. "Well to be fair Miss Ziba, I hardly know anything about magic at all," he said with a wry grin. "But I must say, I am interested in how you magically inclined folks use your magic. I have been self-taught in my fighting skills, but I have never had the time to actually sit down and talk with your kind over the nature of magic itself and how it feels and use it." He said to her.

"Well, I'm not the best teacher," the troubadour thought, putting her staff back, "but I can tell you what I know. Let me just make sure Bassam here doesn't go too far, and then we'll get started." She then guided her camel to a secure location and then motioned Saladin to sit down.

Saladin nodded and thanked her for the offer as he started asking his questions. "I suppose the first question I have is, what is magic? What is the nature of magic to you? How does it work? Is it random as the weather, or can anyone just do it given enough time and effort?" He asked.

"All excellent questions," Ziba said. "Well, to me, your first question about magic is that it is the art of channeling various elements—like fire, electricity, or my cousin's favorite, the wind—to manipulate the physical world. I myself use the forces of earth and light to accelerate the healing of physical wounds." Brushing her orange hair out of her face, and said, "I know, a bit wordy, but my parents' definition is a LOT wordier. It takes a lot of concentration."

"Actually it's rather easy to follow," Saladin said to Ziba. "So to summarize, magic, is the art of channeling the elements of the world, but some people have a certain affinity to certain elements, correct?"

"Yep!" Ziba smiled with a bounce. "You got it, Mr… Saladin, right?" He nodded. "Remember how I said my cousin specializes in wind magic? In theory, she can use the other two elements of the anima tree of magic—fire, and electricity—but some people are better at a particular tree or branch. Both of my big brothers are able to use dark magic, which is one of the oldest branches of magic there is and designed to be used in strong curses, while my oldest cousin, Yasmin, uses light magic, which is designed to purify curses and protect people."

"I see." Saladin hummed in thought. "So while people do have a certain affinity towards element and type of magic, they can still do other branches as well," he commented. "But what about those who can and cannot use magic? How does that work?" Saladin asked.

Ziba thought about it. "Well, to be fair, there aren't too many people that are COMPLETELY blind to magic, it just takes years of study to master, and certain circumstances are better suited for learning magic than others. It also requires the uses of spellbooks, and/or staves to serve as conductors. How familiar are you with the story of my aunt, Queen Minoo?"

"I heard that she was rather skilled at sealing magic and sealed away the Dark Djinn that has now recently broken loose, why?" He asked

"Actually, that binding and sealing spell was Uncle Darius," Ziba confessed. "But he let Aunt Minoo take credit for that because he wasn't exactly liked until years after Aseel's War. But still, Aunt Minoo and Father were both raised in the Temple of Rerci in my hometown of Cubes. During their time there, the two of them were required to study magic for years, resulting in Aunt Minoo knowing her way around a magic tome. It was the same with Mother and Queen Kalia of Ustros."

"I see." Saladin hummed. "So you meant to say, just as how the environment we grow up in influences who we are, so too, does magic gets affected by where we grow up?" He asked.

"Yes," Ziba said. "The type of magic one uses is often shaped by who teaches us and where we grow up. My father was trained in the arts of healing, so that's why he eventually taught me how to heal. Mother learned some arts of dark magic, according to her and my oldest brother, so that's why they know dark magic. But my parents ALSO learned regular anima spells, so when my cousins wanted to learn spells from my parents, they were able to teach them."

"You have certainly given me food for thought," Saladin admitted. "There is so much to learn about magic and its working that I think we might need a few more sessions to go over it if you don't mind?" he asked Ziba. "I am also willing to pay you in the form of baked goods if need be," he added in.

Ziba's eyes widened at the mention of baked goods. "You. Have. A. Deal!" she beamed. She hugged him. "Thank you, Mr. Saladin! I'll try to be a great teacher!"

Saladin simply laughed. "Please, my friends just call me just Saladin," he said with a good-natured smile.

"Alright," Ziba smiled. "We should probably get back to camp. I brought Bassam out here to relax, but we shouldn't worry Janiya and everyone else." She whistled, and Bassam came back over.

"Of course, thank you for teaching me what you know," Saladin said as he guarded Ziba all the way back to camp.

 _ **Saladin and Ziba have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

"Alright," Emerald listed, checking over the group of supplies, "we have gotten new saddles, the armor's been polished, and the camp's supply of weapons have been organized. Now, to report to Lady Yasmin." She then heard wing beats… but no whinny. "Ria, is that you?"

"Uhh…..Yeah." Ria walked in sheepishly. "I was going to help you out but you looked like you had things covered…..sorry?"

Emerald sighed. "I had gotten bored, and knocked out the inventory. Rosetta tends to forget when it's her turn, Lady Janiya is currently at training, and Lady Yasmin, well… the less on our lady's plate, the better."

"That's a fair point, Emerald. Should I help you out here?" Ria asked, walking over to Emerald to give a helping hand. "It would help Lady Yasmin a lot if we did that. ...Wait, this is what you do when you're bored?" She looked up, with an almost incredulous look on her face.

Emerald listed, "Organizing our supplies, doing some weapon maintenance, running errands for Lady Yasmin, taking care of Aedus and Lanie, writing up reports… and balancing our finances. Rosetta says that I don't get out a lot, and claims 'I need a hobby other than work'."

"Uhh….wow. Well, Rosetta's not wrong, but damn if I don't feel a little guilty now that I know how much you're doing." Ria blinked in surprise. "Still, Rosetta certainly has a point. It's no good to remain buried in work. You need to get a hobby or something."

Emerald sighed, "The problem with that, Ria, is… well, I have no real idea how TO spend my off-time. I've had to be the responsible one ever since I was ten and Rose was seven. Having your merchant parents killed on a business trip, you're the older sister, and there are a LOT of bills to take care of to the point that you're barely able to get you and your sister into the pegasus knight academy and have to forge legal guardian signatures you KNOW the orphanage caretakers will never sign kind of kills your childhood and you stop having 'fun'."

"Yeesh…Sorry for making you have to explain that." Ria winced in sympathy. "Well...if you don't have any real idea of how to spend your free time, you could always just hang out with me and Rosetta. I'd be more than happy to spend time with you."

"...I suppose it wouldn't kill me to try to get closer to not only my little sister but the woman I'm supposed to work with," Emerald sighed. "We're the royal retainers, we should have a better relationship than we currently do."

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Ria grinned triumphantly. "So next time you've got free time, come find me, and we'll hang out! ...But if you're really worried about all the chores, then I suppose I can help you out from time to time."

"I'd appreciate it, Ria," Emerald smiled.

 _ **Ria and Emerald have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

Janiya looked at the pegasus, and then back at the pegasus' rider. She then looked back at the pegasus, and then back at the pegasus' rider. She then looked at the rope net the pegasus and the rider were awkwardly in. She then asked, "Okay, explain what you trying to do when this happened?"

"Well," Rosetta said, looking down at the princess, "I had just remembered that Lady Yasmin's supplies had yet to be picked up, so I had to rush to get them… and then I accidentally ran into an enemy's net."

"That explains these guys," Janiya said, looking behind her at the now defeated group of enemies. "Alright, let's get you down." She then took out her sword and slashed one of the ropes. She then barely stepped out of the way as both the pegasus and its rider fell to the ground next to her. Janiya stood over Rosetta, and said, "You're very lucky, Rose, that Elahe and I saw this place when we were coming back."

As her pegasus stood up and snorted in frustration, Rosetta asked, "Lady Janiya, could you… not tell Lady Yasmin or Emerald about this? I don't think either of them considers me mature enough for this job as it is."

"You know, I've been wondering for a while, now, why is it that my father hired a, with all due respect, spastic and inexperienced pegasus knight who hadn't even gotten close to graduating from the pegasus knight academy, to serve as one of my elder sister's retainer. Sure, you're much stronger than Emerald, but that lack of experience kind of dampers your ability to get much done by yourself."

"I understand," Rosetta said while Janiya helped her up. "Long story short, Lady Janiya, it was part of a deal Em struck with King Darius. She'd only agree to serve as Lady Yasmin's retainer if I was also allowed."

"...That's kind of an interesting deal," Janiya mused. "Why would she ask that?"

"I'm guessing it was so I wouldn't be alone," Rosetta said.

"Alone?" Janiya asked.

"Yeah, Emerald and I… lost our parents as kids," Rosetta said. "We've been orphans ever since their business trip to Giuss."

"I understand," Janiya said. "Believe me, I do. The stories of my mother and uncle are famous for their humble rises from ordinary orphans to legends."

"Yeah, I grew up on stories of your mother," Rosetta smirked. "Kind of motivational to orphans all over Cruibia. Even though the main reason we joined the military was that it promised food, shelter, self-defense training for we innocent maidens, and money, another reason was that we wanted to see the likes of Lady Minoo in action. Maybe once or twice, but it happened."

"Yeah," Janiya sighed. "Alright, we better get back to the others. If Yasmin asks, you got caught up in an errand."

"Thank you, Lady Janiya," the pink pegasus knight bowed.

 _ **Janiya and Rosetta have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

Benyamin panted as he looked over the flickering astral plate holograms in front of him in red, several of them fallen. He then looked behind him to see plenty of green holograms, but a few were also fallen. "Damn it… still not enough. I have to try again…." He then noticed footsteps, and saw who they belonged to, and saluted. "Commander."

Saiduq himself nodded, looking over Benyamin's results with a look of deep contemplation. His voice was cold, but not taunting. "Do you know where you made mistakes Lord Benyamin? Your most critical error in this mock battle was that you sent your shock troops as sacrificial pawns. While you still succeeded with minimal loss, you failed to understand the deeper intricacies of the enemies formations." Saiduq himself pulled out an old military manual which he always carried. "You cannot follow the manual of war word-for-word and expect to be an ever-victorious commander. In fact, to follow the manual purely word-for-word is to set yourself up for failure. Take the most well known and successful gambits, and adjust them to your own personal commanding style. Never take them at face value, and never assume your own formation to be impregnable. Especially so against the Argelians who excel at formation breaking and overwhelming the defenses of their enemies." Saiduq then showed his own personal formation, one where his own troops in white had completely surrounded all but a few straggling red units after luring them into a trap, the formation having his troops quite literally boxing the enemy inside the formation while pointing their spears directly forward while a v-formation existed on each 'side' with archers also directing their bows both inside the box and outside between each soldier to allow both offensive and defensive coordination, the number of white 'corpses' being minimal. "While there is no victory without loss, you should make sure for every soldier under you that dies, that at least ten other corpses belong to the enemy. Do not seek to overcommit and leave yourself unable to accommodate to surprises. An ambush is every tactician's worst enemy my lord."

"Mother, Janiya, and Uncle Darius were not kidding that House Il-Hazaad knows it warfare strategies," Benyamin commented. He frowned, "I'm sorry you had to see that. But yes, I do have a rigidness problem… adhering to these tactics that while good back during the time of Aseel's War, are probably worthless now, especially against a 'smart simulation' that learns as I fight."

Saiduq nodded at Benyamin, noting his lament. "You are still inexperienced as a Commander young lord. Remember, the tides of war constantly change and shift by the day. Never assume a formation among the ranks unless you are sure of its success, lest you cause unrest among your own untrained troops. Make sure your troops are aware of formations but do not prematurely set off your stratagems and reveal your cards to the enemy, unless it's an intimidation plot, which will not work against the trained Argelian Neo-Crusaders or the djinn under that Rerci forsaken she-witch. You must always keep your mind open to even the most implausible events so you can properly adapt, rather than stand there lamenting the loss of your army as your troops fall into discord."

"I appreciate your candor and your suggestions," Benyamin nodded. "If I'm going to do my job as the eldest of my family and my cousins, I need to improve however I can in order to protect Yasmin, Janiya, Milad, and Ziba from… well, themselves, for lack of a better term." When Saiduq looked at him, Benyamin said, "Don't pretend my family isn't a group of oddballs and easy targets. Yasmin is a hopeless romantic who carries the most likely source of our enemies' aggression. Janiya, you've been training so you know her power level, and that she's reckless. Milad's almost WORSE in that regard, and he dabbles in the dangerous dark arts. And Ziba? She's far too immature for all of this." Benyamin sighed, and asked, "If it's not too much, Commander, can I ask you teach me some adaptation strategies?"

Saiduq sighed and shook his head at the younger man. "You are bright and keen-minded milord, but you lack the foresight to properly allocate yourself as a proper strategist. Your comments just now merely prove you are still very inflexible." Looking directly at Benyamin, Saiduq kept a cool leveled gaze upon him, in a way seeing much of himself when he was still training under his late father in martial warfare. "Lesson number one, Prince Benyamin. Never underestimate an enemy, nor should you ever underestimate an ally. You are too narrow in your thinking and view those who cannot fit into your stratagems as useless in the grand scheme. Your cousins and siblings are not so weak that they are not aware of their own shortcomings and thus allocate their resources on retainers who can prevent poor outcomes."

Pacing back and forth in front of the young noble, he was much an instructor now rather than a simple commander. "For example, with Princess Yasmin, while she is indeed a hopeless romantic, she easily rallies others to defend her to their last breath, desiring to protect that innocence and motivating troops to push onwards. Were she alone, she would indeed pose little value in the army, but with a swathe of troops, it is easy to motivate the rank-and-file who would seek to see her reforms in actions. With Princess Janiya, she is indeed reckless. Dangerously so, especially for one with a Sacred Weapon. However, when troops see a Commander fighting alongside them, bleeding with them, they develop a fervor that is hard to match. It is why my own style works so well for setting traps. With Prince Milad, he is the one who is actually most valuable as a secondary commander. He is a dark mage, that means that he can still learn many useful hexes, curses, and other tools of the ancient magicks. He will be particularly useful in finding traps, recognizing seals, and providing in-depth magical knowledge and analysis. Princess Ziba is much like Princess Yasmin. They are not warriors, they will not motivate troops by bleeding alongside them, but by rallying them to protect. You would be surprised how many men and women would lay down their lives to protect the Clerics and Priests in their squads, knowing that the power to heal is even more valuable than the power to kill.

"And finally, we have you, Lord Benyamin. You are a keen strategist, cautious by nature, and with intelligence that leaves little for wanting. You will be the one to balance out the innocence and aggression of your siblings and cousins. Being cynical like you are, is not bad. But you must also recognize if you seek to become a Commander and a strategist that you must never focus purely on the cons of your allies and the pros of your enemies, fearing loss is a recipe for disaster as it makes you lose momentum. You must see everything with a clinical view on the values each soldier will have in the grand scheme. When House Il-Hazaad hits the fields of battle, it is not merely my speed and spearplay that will win the day. It will be the swordsmanship of my shock troops keeping the enemy off my tail, the defenses of my spearmen keeping the stronger enemies at bay, the intellect of my spellslingers casting curses and spells on my enemies, and the healing gifts of the volunteer clerics and priests who put themselves at risk to keep the soldiers fighting. When you command, you must allocate all your resources, even your family if it will increase the odds of success and survival. You cannot simply shelter them away, for that will lead to defeat without fail."

"...That is a lot to take in," Benyamin admitted with a frown. "I'm going to think about everything you just said, Commander, and work on my strategies. And eventually, I'll have to make a lot of apologies to everyone." He then turned away. "Take care, Commander."

Saiduq nodded as he watched the younger man began to leave, his own eyes narrowed in deep contemplation. 'He tries to place too much pressure on himself, overthinking scenarios and is haunted by events outside his control. He has a lot to learn still… a Commander cannot be paralyzed by fear of loss or overthink a situation because it will leave them indecisive. If only lord Benyamin could understand this lesson he may even prove a veritable force of instincts tempered by caution on the battlefield…'

 _ **Saiduq and Benyamin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Yasmin looked around her private study, and asked, "Now, where did I have Ebony put that book?" She then looked up, and spotted a book labeled, "The Abridged History of Orobian Birds". "Of course it's up there." She then began pulling a ladder out.

"Hey there, Lady Yasmin." Ria grinned, sashaying through the door as she entered the study. "Ah….Would you like me to help you get that for you?" she asked, her wings flapping gently.

"Oh, Ria!" Yasmin said. "Yes, I would appreciate it, thank you!"

"Here you go, milady." Ria smiled, flapping her wings and grabbing the book before stepping down on the floor.

"Once again, thank you," Yasmin said, opening the book given to her… before closing it, thinking about her retainer. She placed the book on her desk, and asked, "So, what brings you here, Ria? I didn't ask for you."

"Well, I wanted to check up on you," Ria replied innocently. "...and see what books you had in your study. I'm kind of curious about your reading preferences."

"Well, as you can see, I have a couple on birds, since you know I co-own a pet hawk with my husband-to-be," Yasmin smiled, thinking about Ebony… and Sulaiman. Both were in Poswa, right now. "But I also have a few on the arts of magic, the history of the Temple of Rerci, a few books about peace, one or two on self-defense at Father and Janiya's insistence, one about farming, several books on music, and the ins and outs of politics. I've done a _lot_ of binges in terms of reading."

"Well, that's certainly quite the array. I mostly prefer Romance novels and occasionally books on magic myself." Ria remarked, idly fiddling with her lucky silver coin, flipping it and turning it between her fingers.

Yasmin smiled, looking behind her. "I keep forgetting you're a romantic, just like me. I have a few books for the night." She pulled one out and handed it to Ria.

"Oooh, I haven't seen this one before!" Ria grinned, looking over the book. "Umm...I don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed this one for a while, Lady Yasmin?"

"Not at all, I've read the entire series," Yasmin said. She looked around, making sure her father, sister, or anyone else was around. Just to make sure, the older princess closed the doors to her study, blushing as she did so. She then whispered to Ria, "I may have imagined Sulaiman and I acting out one of the scenes in Chapter 18."

"Oooh…..that sounds scandalous." Ria giggled softly. "Well don't worry, Princess. I won't tell a soul about what you just told me. Honestly, you and the prince are so cute together, I envy you two so much~"

"Thanks," Yasmin smiled. "I was honestly a tad afraid that announcing my intentions to marry Sulaiman were going to be a bit controversial, but so far, it seems that people are accepting my betrothed. I suppose hearing our love story has helped soothe people over."

"I'll say. The people have been really supportive of it. You really struck the jackpot in the love department, milady." Ria sighed enviously.

"I'm sure you'll find your special someone," the princess smiled. "After all, you have amazing luck that Father noticed. He almost jumped at the chance to ask you to be my retainer."

"I guess so. Still, lucky or not, I'm more than happy than to serve as your retainer, Milady. I sure as heck hadn't counted on my luck helping me to reach a position like this." Ria grinned.

"As am I," Yasmin smiled. "Rosetta is fun and keeps things up in the air as to what will happen next, and Emerald may keep order around here, but you, Ria? Spending time with you like this is quite relaxing."

"Thanks, Lady Yasmin." Ria smiled warmly, blushing a bit at the compliment. "Anyway, I should probably be off. I've got to go help Emerald out, and I'd best not keep her waiting. If you need help with anything, just look for me."

"I will!" Yasmin nodded. "Take care, Ria."

 _ **Yasmin and Ria have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

Rosetta moaned as her stomach gurgled. "Ooh… I knew I should have eaten before I left Lady Yasmin and Emerald to make that delivery!" she complained. She held her stomach, and said, "I'm really hungry…."

"I see." Someone spoke up as Rosetta looked around to see Saladin holding a bunch of ingredients. "Well I am about to make myself some food to eat, would you like to join me?" he asked.

"Oh, Saladin!" Rosetta smiled. "I'd love to!" She giggled to herself. "(Heehee… he's handsome, cooks, and he's a skilled soldier! This is great!)"

"Well, I am glad then." Saladin smiled. "I find that food usually taste better when you have someone to share with," he said as the duo headed to the kitchen and soon Rosetta was in awe at how skilled and quickly Saladin was making food so fast. And then before she knew it. She was at the table with a plate of grilled meat, with veggies, and sauce on it as a loaf of bread sat on the side. "I called it my grilled chicken sandwich, a nice large meal for those with the urge to eat and the likes." He said as he split open the bread and took the food and put it inside.  
"Hope you enjoy it," he said.

"Well, one way to find out," the red-haired pegasus knight shrugged. She grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. Her eyes lit up, and soon her taste buds were exploding with taste as she enjoyed and nearly moaned at the godly creation she was eating. "Ooooooooooooh…."

Saladin smiled. "Still got it." He said as he took a bite of his own creation.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Rosetta beamed, her eyes filled with stars. "And here I thought either Lady Yasmin, Caspar, and myself were the only ones in the army who could cook anything~!"

"You pick up a few things and there," Saladin spoke up in between bites. "I also know how to make a good drink at times, made my own wine, bake pastries, and make other good food as well," he said. "It would be better if I had used fresh ingredients, but these were not so fresh but far from rotting so I decided to make do with this," he said as Rosetta's eyes widened at that.

"You could do this… with semi-fresh ingredients?" Rosetta asked. She then stood up and bowed her head to him. "Teach me!"

Saladin blinked at that. "I don't mind doing it, but aren't you a skilled cook yourself?" He asked.

"Yeah, but only because Emerald burns everything she cooks, and she and I needed to survive after our parents died, and I… used up all of our meal plans in the pegasus knight academy. I had to learn or starve, and I wasn't starving."

Saladin hummed. "Very well I do not mind teaching you," he said as Rosetta's stomach grumbled a bit making her blush. "Still hungry I see." He said as he went to the kitchen and her mouth practically salivated at what he pulled out. "Honey Buns," he said proudly. "All fresh and new." He said as he cut her up a large piece. "Enjoy." He said with a handsome smirk.

Rosetta heartedly sighed. "Yes, sir~" she beamed with a giggle. She then took a bite and moaned at the taste.

"I see you enjoy it. "That is one of my favorite dishes to make," Saladin said before he rubbed his head. "Always popular among women for some reason." He commented as he took a bite. "I do hope you can make this on your own, I would like to see others enjoy the taste of honey buns." He said.

Rosetta broke out of her fawning, and said, "Well, next time I have some free time, I'll try to get the recipe down!"

Saladin smiled. "Glad to hear that, but let me tell you something important, there is one ingredient that can make any dish taste wonderful no matter what. The secret ingredient to making anything taste better." He said.

"Really?" the redhead asked. "What?"

"Love," Saladin said calmly.

"Oh, right!" Rosetta realized. "You have to love what you do in order to get the best results!"

"Close but not true, you just have to make the food with someone you care about or love in mind when you make it," Saladin said with a smile. "Whenever I make my food, I think of my adoptive mother and how much she loved me and I loved her and I unconsciously put more effort into my food." He said. "Love can make anything taste good, back when I lived as a street rat, I always made meatballs out of rats and not so good veggies but with her help, she turned it into the greatest meal ever. Just add a pinch of love she said." Saladin said with a fond smile.

"Wasn't expecting the rat meat," Rosetta blinked, "but I think I have an idea of what you're talking about… and I'll have someone I have in mind by the time we cook."

"I'm glad to hear that," Saladin said. "Here take this." He said as he gave her the other half of the Honey Bun. "I usually make a lot and don't worry, they stay good for a while." He said as he took out some jerky and started snacking on it. "I think that would make good snacks for you." He said as he started cleaning up now.

"True, I have a sweet tooth," Rosetta admitted. "Thanks for this, Saladin."

"No problem." He said as Rosetta sighed in admiration of him. She was certainly be looking forward to the cooking lessons.

 _ **Saladin and Rosetta have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

Janiya looked at Emerald tending her own pegasus. "I'll be with you in a moment, Lady Janiya," Emerald said over her shoulder before continuing to brush her pegasus' fur.

"It's fine," Janiya said, looking at the pegasus. "Wow, no wonder why Yasmin loves pegasi. They're rather pretty animals, now that I think about it." Emerald looked up at Janiya.

"Who are you and what have you done with Lady Janiya?" she questioned.

"What, I'm not allowed to have the occasional 'feminine moment'?" Janiya quipped her hands on her hips. "Just because I practice with a sword rather than a sewing needle, prefer pants and tunics to pretty dresses, and fighting in a war than just staying home and singing hymns doesn't mean I don't engage in some… female moments."

"I didn't mean to offend, milady," Emerald said, dropping to a knee.

"No offense taken," Janiya said. "However, this kind of segues into what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Emerald asked.

"I've been meaning to bring it up for a while, but there's a difference between you and Rosetta," Janiya began. "Your nerves are much more sensitive than hers while she just rolls with the flow. However, if I had to pick which of you to trust more with Yasmin or even Ziba, that's kind of not even a question. Sure, Rosetta is far stronger than you, but you've been far more accurate. So, why does Father have you both serving as Yasmin's retainers?"

"Mainly because when I was chosen, I insisted to King Darius that my sister would stay by my side," Emerald said. "I don't know if you've heard the whole story, Lady Janiya, but… our parents were traveling merchants. Hardly fighters. They just traveled to exotic places and sold their wares. One day, they accepted a very odd contract that would take them to Giuss. I begged them not to go… Giuss and Orobia haven't exactly had the best history. Many Giusseans hold eastern Orobia, especially Ustrosi, in contempt for what was once a penal colony. They rebelled against Ustros, and it was thanks to Cruibia that they won their independence. However, rather than be thankful to Cruibia, the Giusseans, perhaps out of fear that Cruibia only came to their aid expecting that Giuss would bend the knee to us, cut us off, and only deal in trade and the occasional mercenaries and privateers."

"In short, Giuss was hardly a safe place for Cruibian merchants," Janiya concluded. "Something tells me that something went wrong fast."

"Yes," Emerald admitted. "Mother and Father… for one reason or another, they didn't leave Giuss alive. We were orphaned awfully young."

"And like my own mother, you had to get by, somehow," Janiya said. "Except instead of mercenary work, gambling, or petty thievery, you decided to go into the military."

"Well, I wasn't going in expecting to become a royal retainer," Emerald smiled. She then frowned. "Still, the whole thing in Giuss haunts me. My parents were killed in cold blood… why and who did it?"

"...If you find out who was responsible," Janiya questioned, "what would you do?"

"...I'm going to kill them," she answered. "I'm going to find who murdered my parents, orphaned Rosetta and myself, made us go through YEARS of hell, and then I'm going impale them upon my lance. I refuse to leave this world until that day comes!"

"That's a lot of fire in you," Janiya said.

"This coming from YOU, Lady Janiya?" Emerald questioned. "You're constantly swearing revenge on the Argelian Empress for murdering your mother."

"My hypocrisy is noted," Janiya said. "But Giuss, as much as the two of us detest their neutrality in this war, is not an active participant. If you're not careful with investigating, you COULD cause an incident that could make things worse."

"So you're saying that I should let this go!?" Emerald asked.

"No," Janiya said. "I'm just advising you: be careful with your hunt. Unlike me, you don't really know your quarry, do you?" Emerald looked at the princess, who had a completely serious expression on her face. "I want you to be SURE that it was a Giussean, the full details of the murder, and what you're getting yourself into. And I want a full report before you even CONSIDER taking action. Do you understand? In return, I'll continue looking into my own mother's murder."

"...As you command, milady," Emerald nodded. "But why do you want this?"

"Because you're one of my sister's trusted guardians," Janiya said. "And if resolving this issue better helps you become the best retainer for her, so be it."

"I see," Emerald nodded. "But if I can make a bit of a selfish request?"

"Yes?"

"Please do not let Lady Yasmin know about this," Emerald reasoned. "If she knew anything about my desire for revenge—"

"She'd immediately shut this down," Janiya finished for her. "I can't say for certain that she'll never find out, because of how Yasmin's fragment of the Fire Emblem works. But I can tell you that I will try my best to avoid bringing it up."

"Thank you, Lady Janiya," Emerald said. "Alright, I better get going to start my research. If I could ask you to finish brushing Aedus for me?" Before Janiya could question how Emerald ran off. She then looked at the pegasus.

"...Okay, I'm going to assume brushing a winged horse is somewhat similar to brushing a camel, and hope for the best," she warned the pegasus. "Just nudge me if I'm doing it wrong, and please don't kick me in the face."

 _ **Janiya and Emerald have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

"So," Payam asked, walking next to the genie, who had her magic carpet floating behind her with a bunch of purchased supplies, "why did you want me to come with you on this simple task, Elahe? Not that I mind, but… it seems you've got this easily."

"Oh, that's simple," Elahe said. "I wanted company!"

"...And you didn't want to bring Lady Janiya's other retainer, even though you're practically wanting him?"

"Well, I wanted to know you a little better," Elahe said. "All I know about you, Payam, is that you're Lady Janiya's best friend who happens to be a boy… and you two would be ADORABLE together!"

"You know, I realize that I kind of deserve this," Payam muttered, hand to his face. "I shouldn't have brought up Caspar without him here." Turning to the jann, he asked, "So, why are so obsessed with this idea that Lady Janiya…?"

"Needs a special someone?" Elahe asked. "Look, it might be the fact that having so much magic and a LONG lifecycle makes female genies have a higher libido than an average human's, but it's mainly that I want Lady Janiya to have her best life, and that includes finding love. You see, Payam, I'm her retainer, I'm supposed to look out for her even when she's not looking out for herself. And I've sensed with my magic she always loves having you around. So, why not go for it?"

"Well, one, you're assuming that friendship can change into romance in a blink of an eye," Payam said. "And two, you're also assuming that Lady Janiya and I even HAVE feelings for each other."

Leaning forward, a noticeable bounce in her step, she said, "Well, there IS a long history between you and Janiya. People wouldn't be surprised if… SOMETHING happened."

"Why do you insist on prying into your lady's love life?" Payam scowled.

"Again, I want her happy," Elahe said.

"If you want her happy," Payam said, "then there are plenty of ways you can help her with that other than trying to force myself and her together."

"Oh, really?" Elahe questioned. "Perhaps you ought to share, Payam?"

"In return for sharing, you don't bother me about Lady Janiya and her love life for a while?" Payam asked.

"For a while," Elahe agreed.

"Alright," Payam nodded. "A fair trade. Let's be off."

"Right, back to camp!" Elahe said. "Let me just put all of these in the astral plane, and we'll be good!" She then snapped her fingers, dismissing all the gathered supplies.

"...You could have done that the entire time," Payam said.

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk!" Elahe smiled. The musical archer groaned.

 _ **Elahe and Payam have reached Support Rank C.**_

* * *

"So, Lady Janiya," Nikou questioned, as the two stood across from each other, "I heard from Caspar that you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Nikou," Janiya nodded. "I know we've had our differences, but I appreciate and still need your counsel."

"The djinn do, for all intents and purposes, serve as a threat to Cruibia, but I understand your decision, even if I disagree with it," Nikou said. "Regardless, I don't think you brought me here to discuss your retainer and the djinn's loyalty."

"Right," Janiya admitted. "I'm here to discuss… well, my first time fighting templars put me at a horrible disadvantage. I need to know more about your order and its fighting style if I'm going to protect Cruibia from more Argelian templars."

"If either Commander Dastan or my father had their way," Nikou smirked, "you royals wouldn't be fighting Argelian templars at all."

"Excuse me?" Janiya questioned.

"Don't tell either the Commander or my father that I told you this," Nikou said, "but they view the royal family as… unnecessary on the battlefield. I know the Commander means well, since it's the royal guard's duty to protect you, and that includes our order of templars. However, Father's never really thought highly of the royal family on the battlefield. Particularly you, your sister, and Lady Ziba."

"...Sounds sexist, with all due respect."

"Actually, I too find it sexist," Nikou waved off. "Father desperately wanted a boy, but I was born. However, he's never really thought highly of women in positions of actual power, anyway. Never spoke highly of your mother, for certain."

"Now, I take this personally," Janiya scowled. "What was it about my mother that he didn't like?"

"Mainly because she was, with all due respect, a lowborn orphan girl who, with four of her impoverished friends, rose far above their stations and three of them even became queens, your mother included," the templar said. "She, a girl who was—no offense intended to you, milady—a street rat as a child, became one of the most powerful women in Orobia. A few nobles didn't initially approve of your father's choice in bride."

"I think I understand," the princess frowned. "According to Mother, she and Sultana Farah upset a LOT of Poswali and Cruibian noble ladies by winning the hearts of two young kings and being non-nobles themselves. In fact, they were mercenaries, at best, and people were afraid that the kings' love for them would ruin the two nations already teetering on the brink of collapse. The only way to convince the courts of Poswa and Cruibia to accept them and return stability to southern Orobia was to show that they had incredible powers."

"Lady Minoo's ability to see the future, which she gave Yasmin," Nikou nodded. "And Farah's great magic even for a djinn." She then said, "Still, the ladies of Cruibia's court were upset. My late aunt especially, if the stories were true. Father's never forgiven Queen Minoo for his little sister's broken heart."

"I'm sorry that Father didn't choose your aunt," Janiya said. "But I'm not sorry about my mother."

"I don't blame you," Nikou said. "Now, enough of this dreary topic. You wanted to learn how to fight a templar. Well, let me show you." She then sank to a fighting stance. Janiya sunk into her own.

 _ **Janiya and Nikou have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Caspar and Payam sat together, the latter reading sheet music, and the former looking over an astral plate schedule while enjoying their lunch. Janiya and Yasmin, meanwhile, looked at both from their own table. "Do you ever wonder what those two talk about during their breaks?" Yasmin asked while her sister drank her cup of tea.

"I have a general idea," Janiya smiled once she put her cup down. "You see, Payam is a skilled musician and archer, while Caspar has been keeping track of my schedule and our little unit's physical and emotional well-being. In short, the two would probably be talking about what each of them is up to after our lunch breaks."

"Sis, you can't possibly claim to know that's exactly what they're up to," Yasmin frowned. "Surely, they have more interests than that—"

"So, Payam," Caspar said, "I have on here that in a few hours, Lady Janiya has requested to make use of the ranged training grounds to practice her magic. I believe it was Field 3 if memory serves. Aren't you also planning to use that field?"

"I do, after giving this new flute music a try," Payam answered. "I can find another time if you're worried that I'm going to be in Lady Janiya's way."

"Oh, no, I don't think that is a problem, the field is quite large, and I doubt your arrows would get in the way of Lady Janiya's wind magic. In fact, I bet you two could actually find a way to launch your arrows faster and with much more force with her magic."

"Interesting," Payam said with a nod. "Now, about this particular bit of music… what do you think, Caspar?"

"Hmm," Caspar said, squinting at the notes. "This looks… from Crimea, right? I would suggest a slightly higher pitch than your usual flute work. Give it a bit more drama to be more authentic."

"That's what I was thinking, too," Payam said, looking at the music once again. "It feels the need for a bit more passion to be a Tellius song."

Yasmin looked at her younger sister, who only offered a small smile. "I may not exactly get out and shake people's hand as much as you," Janiya said, "but I know my boys." She then drank more tea.

"You know," Yasmin called to the two, "Father would totally approve of either of you being with my little sister. No need to sit down and try to impress her by proving her right." Janiya's spewed out her tea, and her face flushed and both men gasped at the crown princess' teasing.

"Yasmin!" Janiya frowned in embarrassment. Looking at her now tea-stained shirt, she groaned, "Now I have to go change before I train. Thanks a lot, Sis." Janiya then left, while Yasmin looked at the two men.

"Do either of you want me to look into your future about my sister or…?"

"No need, Lady Yasmin," Caspar said. "I just remembered that I have a prior engagement that I must deal with before I clean up the practice field."

"And I wish to get some music practice in before I engage in training," Payam said. "I'm sorry, Lady Yasmin, but I cannot indulge your magic, today." The two men then politely bowed before walking away. Yasmin giggled.

"Janiya wasn't kidding about knowing her boys," Yasmin smiled, drinking her tea.

 _ **Caspar and Payam have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Well, that should be everything," Elahe smiled, checking off her list. "Lady Janiya is quite the taskmaster when it comes to checking over our inventory." She then sent her list to her astral plane, and smiled… before sensing something that made her eyes shrink. "Why do I sense orichalcum…?"

"That would probably be my gear," Nikou said, walking forward. "Genie."

"Templar," Elahe said, shrinking away.

"No need for that," Nikou waved off. "We both know that if I was ordered to kill you, I would already be armed."

"Well, that has hardly stopped your order from trying to kill my kind for centuries," Elahe scowled.

"If only in response to the rogue genie problem," Nikou argued. "The one, strangely enough, was caused by Sizah, who is our current problem. For how long, Elahe, have members of your race abused their great magical power to cause damage to mankind, especially during the great Dragon-Genie War? Our order was created to remind genies that they can be defeated, and we use orichalcum to defend our people."

"Well, you don't hear stories of templars hunting manaketes!" Elahe said. "You don't see them sharpening wyrmslayers to go dragon slaying!"

"That's because rogue manaketes, historically, are a western Orobian problem," Nikou replied. "We Cruibian templars protect Cruibia. And there are plenty of wyrmslayers in case anyone has to face manaketes in war. But right now, we have genies under Sizah and the Argelian Empire."

"You mean the empire who founded itself on the backs of djinn slaves?" the jann questioned.

"Well, in Argelia's defense, it founded its empire when the country of Escen invaded Argelia's original territory, who was minding its own business. Argelia was initially acting in self-defense."

"And then they conquered them," Elahe retorted.

"True," Nikou admitted. "Although, to be fair, the djinn of Escen were ruthless warmongers at the time, and had they won, we could easily be facing the Escenian Empire, which given Escen's brutality in comparison to Argelia's mostly hegemonic approach to getting territories to have joined it, would have been much worse, especially with their powerful magic. I don't know what changed, but the Argelian Empire was, until recently, content to stay on Idrea."

Elahe frowned. "Well… that may be true, but don't let historical Escen, pre-Rerci djinn society, and Sizah's madness fool you. We're not predisposed to abusing our power so you have to hunt us down!"

"As long as you don't think templars go out of our way to cut down all genies," Nikou replied. Just the ones who go rampant." She then grabbed her gear, and walked away, leaving Elahe to pout.

 _ **Elahe and Nikou have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Payam watched as Ziba checked over his bandaged hand. "Hmm," the little troubadour frowned, looking it over. "Well, the bowstring cut wasn't that deep, and it's healed rather well. Still, you should give your hands a break every once in a while, Payam."

"Thank you, Lady Ziba," Payam said. "It's a little hard to fulfill your request, though. I am a musician."

"I know," Ziba giggled. "Trying to woo many a girl with a song or two. My cousin speaks very highly of you."

"Lady Janiya?" Payam questioned.

"Yep!" Ziba answered. "So, how did you two meet, if you don't mind me asking? She just introduced me to you, one time when we visited her in the capital if I recall."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a proper meeting like you and me had," Payam replied. "You see, she had snuck out of her castle, and gotten herself horribly lost. She broke down crying… right near where I was practicing."

"Janiya… cried?" Ziba asked. "That must have been years ago."

"She was a crybaby before she became the warrior you see today," Payam chuckled. "And it drove me nuts. I yelled at her, demanding she cry somewhere else so I can practice my music in peace. That predictably made it worse. So I decided, as the closest thing to an apology, I would make that day, to agree to get her home. I was so obsessed with getting her home so she stopped crying and leave me to my music that I didn't even realize until we were at the palace gates, facing the royal guards and a visibly concerned Lady Minoo and King Darius, that she was actually THE younger princess."

"And by 'visibly concerned', you mean…?" Ziba asked, leaning forward.

"Yes, they were armed," Payam answered. "Lightning and ice crackling from their signature weapons. Janiya had to talk everyone down, otherwise, I probably wouldn't be here."

"Yeah, that was DEFINITELY my aunt and uncle," Ziba giggled. "So, have you ever for real apologized to Janiya for snapping at her?"

"Yes, multiple times," Payam nodded. "Just like how I'm going to need to apologize to her for making her worry when I overdid it during our last battle against the enemy, and wore my fingers to this point, making you waste your time tending to my hands."

"It's no problem," Ziba replied, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I don't like to see people I care about being hurt! And that includes you!" She then looked back at his hand, and said, "Now, healer's orders: let your hand rest for a few days, and then after an hour of either bow or music practice, let it rest. Don't immediately start doing another task unless it is an emergency."

"Yes, milady," Payam nodded.

 _ **Payam and Ziba have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Caspar was cleaning up the camp's kitchen, humming to himself. Emerald walked in, beginning, "Rose, dinner was really good, tonight. What did you do… huh?" The eldest of Yasmin's pegasus knights looked around. "Where's Rosetta, Caspar?"

"I'm afraid, Emerald, that you just missed Rosetta," Caspar said. "Lady Yasmin requested that she followed up on an errand, so I'm covering for her here in the kitchen. Not that I mind the quiet. It's kind of nice."

"Right, you're a servant," Emerald said, walking ahead. She grabbed an apron.

"Um, what are you doing?" Caspar questioned.

"Helping you clean up on my sister's behalf," the pegasus knight answered. "The sooner we get to work, the better."

"Well, I suppose I could use a little help around here," the servant said. Several minutes later, the kitchen was cleaned up, but Emerald was a mess while Caspar was surprisingly clean. "Well, that went rather smoothly, all things considered."

"...How do you do this without getting dirty!?" Emerald questioned, looking him over.

"Over the years, I've learned how to keep messes to a minimum," Caspar assured her. "It's not easy. But thank you very much for your help, Emerald."

"You're welcome," Emerald said. She then watched him begin to leave, when she called out, "Um, Caspar… a question."

"Yes?" the servant asked. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just… can you teach me a little bit about cooking?"

"Well, I suppose I can pencil that request in somewhere, seeing as I, on the side, also teach Lady Janiya," Caspar reasoned. "But why do you want to know how to cook, Emerald?"

"You've seen Rosetta," Emerald said. "She's the MUCH better domestic and fighter than I am. I can easily attend to several of Lady Yasmin's needs that aren't involving fashion or occasionally combat. However, I wish to improve some of my skills, especially my cooking skills."

"Well, that's a reason," Caspar nodded. "Alright. So I'll see if I can get you and Lady Janiya together in the same room something soon so that way, I can try to teach you both about the same time. Is that fair?"

"I think I can make that work," Emerald nodded. "Thank you, Caspar!"

"Not a problem," Caspar said. "Until then, Emerald." He then left, leaving Emerald to sigh.

"I'm doing this for you, my little sister," she said. "Spending time with the servant who secretly moonlights as a back-alley doctor for criminals."

 _ **Caspar and Emerald have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Caspar's Notes: And there we are. A whole several rounds of supports. The author would like to thank LucifierXIII Trollkaiger Green, BlackKnightW, DarkyTime (formerly known as Sdarkynecro), and Imperium 7 for their help co-writing these. The author would also like to extend a reminder that you all as well can collaborate with us.

And now, onto reviews.

 **KazeNoKishiX:** An update on this update, for those who are curious. The first rough draft has been completed, and the author has been working on a private revision. This is a long process, and the paralogue is not even scheduled to release for a little bit, so please be patient with us.

Next, we talk about your actual review. This scene with Guaril and Tawni's cameo is actually for Guaril a small flashback, and Howe's campaign starts out three years prior to the other characters' respective stories. Keep in mind Tawni and her caravan are rather well traveled, and Tawni herself is 14 during this moment, bordering 15 at most, while she in her story is 17. Guaril himself sees Howe not as a monster or as a point of hatred, but as someone who, like him, made plenty of mistakes in his youth that have had an impact. Guaril, however, is a bit more of a magnificent bastard about it, which is why he slightly messes with Howe.

Princess Kadri herself, meanwhile, is quite interesting with her feline tendencies. We don't really know why she does these things, but there's more to her character than on the surface from what little we know.

 **ZenoZen:** I am not personally sure if either of these women has feelings for Howe like Piper, an Anna, and Sema does. But they are fun OCs to have in the story. As for Tawni and Howe's first meeting, it probably will not be Howe flirting with Tawni, but instead Howe doing something different.

 **Consort:** It's true, manakete siblings in _Fire Emblem_ are rather rare... not counting _Awakening_ and _Fates_ should you pair a male Avatar with Nowi in the former or you pair a male Avatar with Azura or a female Avatar with any of the first generation males who are NOT Avatar-exclusive elder men with the female Avatar. The difference here is that all three siblings have different fathers for one, and for two, they're scattered through three campaigns.

Annette is an interesting character, for certain, and one of the earliest OCs submitted for this story. Perhaps we, through her and Anna, will learn about the Anna family.

The reason for the slight step back in terms of intensity is that the author feels that having a bunch of epic battle chapters will cause people to highly expect nothing more than intense battle chapters, and to the author, this was the closest thing to making a "Battle of Blackwater" type of chapter. Yes, we're referencing _Game of Thrones,_ and we're sorry to anyone who dislikes the series or prefers the books and is insulted by the author's liking of the TV adaptation. As for the fog of war, the author DID want to remind people that Howe's campaign is also supposed to be the hardest one.

Finally, the Guaril and Howe moment. Guaril and Howe seem to bond over what they consider their greatest failures. Guaril sees a lot of himself in Howe, but slightly different, so he takes a moment to advise Howe before leaving with his daughter to go on their own adventures. Neither of them, until it is too late to really know, take a moment to stop the other. Will each of them regret it? Perhaps, but time will tell.

 **Guest:** We are aware that people want more _Night of Tales._ But with all due respect, the author does NOT have a regular update schedule, and more "It updates when he's done with a chapter". Please do not rush us. If you wish to get an update on his progress, please message us in private either via the site's built-in private messaging system or his email which is posted in his profile page.

Alright, that should be everything, right, author.

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Yeah, that's right. Thanks, Caspar. Next time, we'll probably do Sulaiman's supports. Farewell, subjects!


	27. Sulaiman and Company Supports, Round 2

Lamia's Notes: Hello there, ladies and gentlemen. Lamia Gerges here on the author's behalf. It's his birthday, I'd figure it would be nice. So, typically we here will start with a witty soliloquy or dialogue, then transfer into the chapter, and end with the reviews. However, I'm changing the pace a little. I'm going to address the reviews first, just to get them out of the way, then give you the chapter, and then let you know what's going on on our end. So, without further ado, we'll get started with the reviews.

 **Consort:** Ria and Esen are rather interesting characters. And it addressed a part of the Manakete Migration, which we plan to go into detail in _Night of Lore._

Payam is an artist, Janiya's best friend, and someone who easily connects with people, that much is certain. And Saladin is quite the fighter. Although Saiduq is quite the fighter. I'm just surprised Lady Ziba is that knowledgable on magic for someone so young, but I guess because her parents are one of the most powerful magic couples in Cruibia, if not Orobia as a whole, it makes sense she'd know a few things. Nikou's defense of the templars is what surprised me, but I ultimately end up admitting she has a point, that powerful magic is DANGEROUS.

True, Emerald's conversations are a bit repetitive, but that just shows her obsession for vengence.

 **KashiNoKishiX:** True, it's coming along rather nicely, and the author's been working on it in his spare time when he's not... working. Or playing games, such as _Borderlands_ and _Yoshi's Crafted World_ waiting for Joker to get into _Super Smash Bros. Ultimate._

As for what Lady Yasmin and Ria were talking about with that book... it's just an adult romance novel, nothing more. It's... intimate.

...I've read it with her the LAST time she and I were together.

 **DarkyTime:** You are rather welcome. The author loved cowriting with you.

Emerald and Saiduq's support was actually rather nice, showing that two people who answer directly to the royals getting along rather well while pushing themselves. Janiya and Esen show little sisters getting into trouble and having fun with it.

 **LuciferXIII Trollkaiger Green:** We understand that family obligations can take our attention away from this kind of thing. It's fine.

As for Nikou and Janiya's chapter, we wanted to have a bit of a "Reality Ensues" kind of thing that, yes, there were problems and even objections to the Golden Valkyries, especially Minoo and Farah, becoming powerful noblewomen when they were mainly commoners, and if not for the Fire Emblem fragments, they wouldn't have even had a chance to properly rise to power safely. Though I'm not surprised House Il-Hazaad would have actually supported Minoo since it was thanks to her and the Golden Valkyries that the final battle against Sizah years ago didn't end with Cruibia or Poswa completely destroyed.

Alright, that ought to do it. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Sulaiman and Company Supports, Round 2**

* * *

"Journal Entry 277, Day 7, Realm: Orobia; During my vacation in numerous realms, I have grown homesick, I have decided to returns home and pull a visit to my good buddy, Aladdin, whom had grown since I last saw him during his youth. Upon my arrival to the castle, the High Prince Al of Posswa has requested me to join forces with his younger brother, Sulaiman, or should I say, Sully, who was in danger from a noble that goes by the name of Duke Zahar, or should I call him 'Jafar'!" Robin narrated in his journal, sitting on his magic carpet and wearing a pair of reading glasses.

Sulaiman, who was sitting nearby, spoke up, "Robin, could I request something from you?" Robin slowly lowered his carpet to look at Sulaiman.

"Sure Sully, my boy!" The marid quickly laid down on the carpet, shut his journal, and zapped away both his glasses and journal into the astral plane. "What do you want from the all-powerful genie?"

"Where have you been ever since my brother freed you from your lamp?" Sulaiman asked. Robin fell flat on his side while his hand supported his head. "Wha-"

The marid quickly sat straight up and extended multiple hands and pointing all over the ground. "Why, I have been to here, here, here, and here! But most importantly, I have been to every single realm that exists!" He quickly stands up and pat Sulaiman on the back quite harder than the spare prince expected, knocking him on the ground. "Oh, sorry about that Sully my boy! It has been a long time since I slapped someone on their back."

"I-I see," Sulaiman said as he got up and cracked his back. He looked down curiously and pick up a picture, spotting Robin in the middle of a selfie with an embarrassed and confused young woman. "Who is that person with you, Robin?"

Robin glanced at the picture and quickly clicked in his mind, "Oh that picture! You should be able to recognize her. I am sure that your family's lessons included legendary heroes, including those of Elibe?"

Sulaiman looked at Robin in awe. "You met THE Lady of the Plains, Lyndis of the Lorca Tribe?!" The prince looked back at the photo once more, and it was indeed Lyn. However, her traditional qipao was… different, in a way. "But why does she look different from how she was seen when we learned about her in school?"

Robin innocently whistled and turned away from the prince. After a few minutes, the marid turned around and see Sulaiman eagerly looking at him. "Oh come on man, she just has a wider taste in fashion than what you've heard, but that is all I am going to tell you!" Before Sulaiman could even respond, Robin turned his own mouth into a closed zipper.

"... Did she ask you to make a promise that you don't talk about anything that you saw in that realm?" Robin gave him a thumbs up. He sighed and stared at the photo. '(Why would she tell Robin to keep a secret?)' He thought as he handed over the photo to Robin, who quickly snatched it away. "Anyway, we should get moving before the sun begins to set, Robin." Sulaiman turned around and walked away as Robin unzipped his mouth with a small frown.

"Oh… sorry there, pal, but I don't think you or anyone in this world can handle that there is more than just one universe across the galaxy." Robin sadly said as he looked at the photo and thought to himself, '(I really wish I can let Sulaiman to know that the future is evolving a lot more than we could ever dream of, and it is being protected by people that can handle many threats, a lot more than anyone in this world could even bare it.)' He glanced at Sulaiman's retreating form and decided to hop onto his carpet and fly after him.

 _ **Sulaiman and Robin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The cleric checked over her shopping list. "Now, let's see, here," she mused. "We'll need a set of bowstrings, at least a dozen more vulneraries, some new material for the tents, and… perhaps some foodstuffs so we don't have to hunt or gather almost all of what we eat."

Nayru popped her head from behind Lamia's shoulders, and requested, "Ooh, ooh! Get some eggs, milk, and chocolate! I need those!"

"I'm sorry, but what?" Lamia questioned the wyvern knight. Nayru walked in front of the cleric.

"Chocolate, eggs, and milk," Nayru repeated. "I need those for a cake I'm making."

"You… you bake, Lady Botros?" Lamia questioned.

"Yep!" Nayru said. "I also can cook, too! Just like Prince Sulaiman." She then frowned, "But don't call me 'Lady Botros', Lamia. You're a noble, just like me. Call me 'Nayru'."

"Well, that's a pleasant surprise," Lamia smiled. "I didn't think anybody besides Lord Sulaiman and… well, Sakaki would be willing to cook."

"I like to think of myself as a good chef," Nayru smiled. "I had some good teachers in Kashab. I'll admit, it's one of the few 'ladylike' things Father had tried to teach me that stuck."

"Well, I suppose that we should at least try your cooking," Lamia nodded, adding Nayru's requests to her list. "Well, Nayru, this will be interesting. But I suppose you and I should get along."

"Thanks," Nayru beamed. "I know because of our houses' differences, it's a little hard. But we, the girls of our houses, should at least try to be friends!" She then said, "So, is there anything else we should add to our list?"

"You say that like you wish to go shopping with me," Lamia observed.

"Yep!" Nayru said. "I'll bring Ozymandias so he can help get everything back!" She then ran off to go do that, leaving Lamia blinking in confusion.

"I'm just going to preemptively add this town to the list of places I think I'm going to be banned from entering for life when this is over," the cleric said. "But if it makes it so we can get all of our supplies in one trip, I suppose it's worth bringing a fifteen-year-old girl and her pet wyvern."

 _ **Lamia and Lanayru have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"I'm telling ya, kid," Nail said, hoisting his ax over his shoulder. "Physical prowess is much more reliable in a fight than a few magic spells!"

"And I'm telling you, Nail," Rafi argued, his tome gleaming, "that your raw muscle is no match for the arcane arts, which could easily tear an army apart!"

Sulaiman, walking in from his latest hunt, questioned, "Why are you two fighting?"

"Oh, Lord Sulaiman, help me out, here," Rafi said, dispersing his magic. "You're a djinn, right?"

"Thanks to Mother, yes," Sulaiman replied. "But I fail to see how that factors."

"My point here is, as a djinn, you know how important magical prowess is!" the young mage grinned. "Tell him!"

"Magic's nice and all," Nail argued, "but something I've noticed with spellcasters. They need complete concentration to draw forth magic, and perhaps even need their hands free and access to a tome. Meanwhile, people like me? I can force my way out with less time than it takes to fire off a set of spells. And the prince here has fought his way out of hard moments without using spells! Go on, Prince! Tell him about our fights!"

"I am not about to take sides on this one," Sulaiman muttered, pinching his nose. "Instead of asking for my opinion, why not just each of you prove which one is better suited for combat in a couple challenges? I'll figure something out in a matter of time." The two looked at Sulaiman, and then at each other.

"Oh, I'm going to cast CIRCLES around you, barbarian!" Rafi grinned.

"Well, I won't say no the flexing my muscles," Nail said. "You're on, kid! But don't cry when you lose! It'll make me look bad!" The two then headed off, leaving Sulaiman smirking to himself. Dark Sulaiman showed up beside him.

' _ **Are you sure that will satisfy them?'**_ Dark Sulaiman questioned.

"No, but I bet we can use this to our advantage," Sulaiman answered. "We have a few chores we can use their competitiveness for."

' _ **You are more devious than I give you credit for,'**_ Dark Sulaiman admitted with a small grin.

 _ **Nail and Rafi have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"So," the older soldier questioned the young villager, pacing back in forth in front of her. "You wish to learn from the man who trained your father, correct?"

"Yep!" Rawiya answered. "I ain't exactly as strong as Lord Sulaiman, but I promise I'll be just as useful in your campaign as anyone under his command!"

"Well, to be fair, I did train him, as well," Barack smirked. Holding a practice lance to hers, he said, "Now, show me your stance."

"Okay," Rawiya said, gripping her lance in both hands. She then held her lance in front of them. Barack shook his head.

"It's rather sloppy," the old soldier said. "If you plan to fight with the weapon in both hands like this, you have to bend your knees a bit more, and further shift your hands apart. That will give you a bit more control with your lance." He demonstrated, and Rawiya copied. "Better. Now, typically, the lance is far more ideal on the back of a camel or in a basic foot soldier's hands, but with villagers, it's similar to some of your basic farming equipment."

"I can see that," Rawiya said. "Well, just have to think of it like a pitchfork, then."

"Well, that's one way to imagine it," Barack admitted. "But I'd suggest not using it as a stabbing weapon, and more a slashing weapon. That way, your enemies will be caught off guard. Try getting used to it in quick swipes and quick twirls. The more you practice, Rawiya, the faster you'll master it."

"Right," the little villager smiled. "I'll do my best! Soon, I may be able to get to Father's level… or even beyond it!"

"That twinkle in your eye definitely reminds me of him," Barack said. "Alright, let's go a few rounds, and then we'll see from there how you stack up."

"I'm readier than a cat ready to pounce on a mouse, Sir Barack!" Rawiya grinned.

 _ **Barack and Rawiya have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Where are my tools?" Idris questioned. Rummaging around the tent, he complained, "I could have sworn they were here…."

"Hey, Idris," Daif said, popping in. "Looking for something?"

"Yes, my thief tools," Idris said, not looking at the jackal.

"Here you go!" Daif answered, placing a small chest in front of the rogue.

"Well, where were these?" Idris questioned.

"I think our last battle, a rogue or two flanked around, and found our camp, and then made off with some of our stuff," Daif said. "Prince Sulaiman's hunting gear, my stash of food, your thief tools… just to name a few things I found at what was left of their camp."

"What was…?" Idris asked, finally looking at his colleague. He then looked at his tool kit, seeing blood on that. "Um… any reason why you're covered in blood?"

"Nobody takes an Ustrosi jackal's food and LIVES to tell," Daif said, dead serious. Turning back to his happy self, he said, "Well, I should probably go return Prince Sulaiman's hunting gear."

"How about you get a bath, first, to wash all out of that blood?" Idris suggested, his eyes wide in horror.

"...I suppose Prince Sulaiman won't mind his gear being returned later," Daif said. He then placed a case of hunting equipment, also covered in blood, next to Idris' tool kit. "Later, Idris!" Daif then ran off to find a spot to bathe. Idris, meanwhile, turned to the bloodstained gear.

"...Did he have to kill them ALL over the equipment?" the rogue complained to nobody. He then pulled out a small cloth and began cleaning.

 _ **Daif and Idris have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Lamia finished setting up her tent for the evening and smirked at her success. "And they say that the Golden Valkyries had a difficult time with their initial treks because only Adre and Minoo knew basic desert survival skills." Looking over at Duaa, she asked, "How's your tent coming along—oh my goddess."

Over on Duaa's side, her tent had imploded, with it caving in, and Duaa's equipment spilling out from under the tarp. Not to mention the sticks that meant to hold it up were snapped in various places. "Damn it… again!?"

"What are you doing wrong, Duaa?" Lamia asked, coming over.

"I don't know, I thought I was following Sir Barack's instructions to the letter," Duaa scowled. "This is the first time I've ever done this by myself!"

"You've… never set up a tent before?" Lamia questioned.

"Nope," Duaa answered.

"...You know this is going upon my list of skills I'm worried about for you, right?"

"You have a list?" the knight asked.

"Let's see," Lamia said, pulling out her astral plate, and summoning a sheet labeled, "Survival Skills to Test Duaa on Later". "You have cooking…."

"It's not MY fault that Prince Sulaiman insists on doing most of it," Duaa said. "And it was a SMALL fire the last time I cooked!"

"Speaking of fires, safe fire starting…."

"Okay, that one, I'll admit to."

"Sewing…."

"You're still mad about your sari that I ripped, aren't you?" Duaa accused.

"I am, but that is beyond the point," Lamia said. "Cleaning your equipment…."

"Okay, there was a little ghoul blood left on my shield after our last big skirmish."

"Your shield had a layer of it, and you scared that poor family in the last town we were in," Lamia deadpanned.

"Okay, fine, I have a few problems," Duaa admitted. "But I fail to see how this all qualifies as your issue."

"It is 'my issue' because if you wish to become one of Lady Yasmin's retainer, you can't just smash and stab your way out of your problems. Being a retainer to a royal has a certain amount of grace to it. For example, with me, I keep our supplies organized, provide physical and magical medical attention, and provide a shoulder to lean on. As much as I do not trust either of them really far, my fellow retainers have their own strengths. And even Lady Yasmin and even Lady Janiya's retainers, despite their various faults, have some of the responsibilities besides protecting them from physical harm."

"Hmm… well, do you have any pointers?" Duaa asked.

"Several, actually," Lamia said. "If you are willing to learn."

"This is going to suck, isn't it?" Duaa questioned.

"Consider it payback for my sari," Lamia said, a small gleam coming from her glasses.

 _ **Duaa and Lamia have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nayru hummed to herself as she walked in, holding some sweets she bought from the market. "Oh Ozymandias~ Mama's back! I brought some wyvern snackies!" She then turned the corner, and saw Ozymandias and Rafi tugging on the opposite side of a book.

"Dragon, you will let go of this autographed spell book, or so help me, Rerci, I will…!" Rafi growled.

"How could you!?" Nayru scowled, walking over and causing the two to let go of the book.

"See, she's on my side!" Rafi smirked at the wyvern. However, the bop on the head he recieved from Nayru shattered that belief. "What the… why!?"

"You've got some nerve picking on my baby, Rafi!" Nayru said, wagging her finger in his face. "He just wants to play!" As if to prove her point, Ozymandias roared in agreement and wagged his tail.

"Play!? That's a giant warbeast you have there!" the mage argued. "And he was in MY stuff!"

"He's bored!" Nayru replied. "Bored wyverns are idle wyverns. And idle wyverns are destructive wyverns. Wyverns need exercise, just like any living thing. And besides, it's not like you don't need exercise either, you limp mage! He thinks you need it, too! You're lucky he just chewed on your book."

"Well, how the heck am I supposed to exercise with a DRAGON!?" Rafi questioned.

"Oh, that's easy!" Nayru replied. "Sometimes, we wrestle, sometimes we play tag, and sometimes, we play fetch! Seeing as I don't have anything to throw, why not tag?" Ozymandias leapt up and down in response to that, and got into a low stance.

"Tag!?" Rafi asked.

"You have a ten-second head start!" Nayru winked. "One… two…."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Rafi screamed, running off.

"Three," Nayru continued counting. "Four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… get him!" Ozymandias flew off after the mage. "Run faster, Rafi, he'll catch you easily!"

"Why aren't you stopping him!?" Rafi questioned.

 _ **Lanayru and Rafi have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Nerin watched as Sulaiman practiced with his scimitar, showing an impressive display of swordsmanship. "That's impressive," Nerin said after the Poswali prince finished. "How long have you been training with a sword?"

"Since I was a boy, actually," Sulaiman replied. "Around… 8, to be precise. Father wanted me to start learning self-defense as early as possible. Loathe as I am to use it, my training has proven useful in terms of surviving the more underhanded parts of Poswali politics. But enough about that." He sheathed his sword and turned to the Uprilian Princess. "Seeing as we are now traveling companions, Lady Nerin, we should get to know each other a little bit more. As you know, I'm the second-born Poswali prince after Aladdin, I use both a sword and a bow, and I'm soon-to-be married to Princess Yasmin of Cruibia. What about you?"

"Well, I think I can manage that," Nerin nodded. She began, "As you know, I'm one of… many illegitimate children of Prince Khai. My father is rather promiscuous."

"So I've heard," Sulaiman said. "I think Mother once said that he tried to seduce all FIVE of the founding members of her band of mercenaries."

Nerin giggled, "I've heard of that story! Father's first 'failed conquests', as Grandmother once called it. 'Thankfully so,', she would add, 'someone needed to knock him down a peg, and he got knocked five'!" She then frowned. Sulaiman frowned with her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, knowing her pain. "I shouldn't have brought up Mother, knowing it would lead there…."

"It's alright, you didn't mean to," Nerin agreed. "Your mother and my grandmother died the same day. But unlike your mother probably was with you, I wasn't as close with Grandmother, and I regretted it. Still, I wonder what Grandmother would say about me. You know parents and grandparents shouldn't play favorites, but we're all mortal."

"We can't help ourselves," Sulaiman nodded, looking at Ebony landing by him. "Ebony's like a son to me, but I can't help but wonder, if and when I have children of my own, that I'll have to try to avoid playing favorites. I know my father prefers Aladdin to me, but that's because Aladdin's power reminds him of Mother and his own father's power. Still, what about Queen Tabia? Did she have a favorite… grandchild?"

"Oh, without question," Nerin answered with a smile that surprised Sulaiman. "The one who reminded her the most of her youth, and the one I'm proud to say is my little sister: Arya! She was the one I was coming to look for with my escort, and she came to Poswa months ago. It was Mother's request that even though Aunt Auset ordered the royal grandchildren to separate so the enemy couldn't capture all of them, I find ONE of my siblings."

"This is the first time I'm hearing about your mother," Sulaiman said. Nerin gasped and looked away afterward with an embarrassed blush. "Did I strike a nerve, there? My apologies."

"It's alright," the Uprilian princess answered. "It's just that… Father preferred us raised in the royal palace, with very minimal contact with our mothers. However, it was impossible with me, seeing as Mother works as a servant in the royal library. Which meant I, prior to all of this, had the most influence by my mother, much to Father's dislike. Mother may not be the most confident woman, but she has a sharp mind and, when pushed, a sharper tongue." She then looked north, and asked, "I wonder what she is doing, and even thinking right now. I promised her that, once I found Arya, I'd bring her home with Poswa and Cruibia at our backs, ready to retake our homeland."

"Well, we're working on it," Sulaiman assured her. "You have me, at least. And as soon as we finish securing Poswa and Cruibia's alliance, we'll head north to Upril. Find your mother."

"Thank you, Prince Sulaiman," Nerin said. She then walked away, while Sulaiman turned to his dark self, who was panting from the training session.

" _ **You're still rather powerful,"**_ Dark Sulaiman admitted. _**"However, we shouldn't make promises if one cannot afford to keep them."**_

'(And what is that supposed to mean?)' Sulaiman questioned.

" _ **Don't be naive,"**_ the dark side replied. _**"You know the stories that Queen Tabia was, in her youth, a troubadour. She wasn't much of a fighter. If this Princess Arya is like her grandmother, then that would mean she's also a healer before a fighter… and healers by themselves are very vulnerable. The odds of us finding her alive, even if she somehow got into Poswa in the past few months, are rather slim since we never once saw her in Tanuhah. And that's not even mentioning Lady Nerin's mother since we've confirmed the capital of Upril has been invaded. She and the rest of the servants are perhaps either dead, in chains, or forced to swear fealty to their captors."**_

'(Perhaps… but we can at least give Nerin her home back,)' Sulaiman resolved. '(As a fellow royal, we owe her that much.)'

 _ **Sulaiman and Nerin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The two knights clashed their spears against each other, each one attempting to overpower the other. "You've definitely gotten stronger, Duaa," Barack admitted.

"Thanks, sir," Duaa replied. "Today's the day I finally surpass you…!"

"And that is your problem," Barack sighed. Duaa looked in confusion… only for her to suddenly end up on her back, the bottom of his lance pressed against her stomach, and his foot to her neck. "You become so confident, you do not look until it's too late. And you can get yourself overpowered and easily killed for it."

"Ugh, fine…." Duaa groaned after Barack got off of her. "I thought I had you, that time."

"You could have, but you let your guard down," Barack said. "A lesson I've taught other soldiers. Sulaiman is the one who has learned it easiest to NEVER underestimate an opponent. If anything, he kind of overestimates the number he actually has, but he's too nice to actually admit it. You, however, have a pride problem. Your pride blinds you to your vulnerable spots, and you believe your strength alone will solve all of your problems."

"Well, if it's not, what am I supposed to do?" Duaa questioned as she stood up. "I've been training most of my life for a chance of being a Poswali soldier."

"That doesn't mean let your mind dull," Barack advised. "Back in our youth, I kept challenging Sultan Mecca intellectually as well as physically. It allowed him to be a wise young sultan when his time came. Sure, he's made mistakes, no sultan is perfect, but he's learned from them. I want you, Duaa, to learn from yours. And mine, as well."

"Mine and yours?" Duaa questioned.

"You don't think I don't make mistakes in my battles?" Barack chuckled. "I've made a few in this spar that, had you noticed, would have actually allowed you to win." Duaa frowned, and looked down. Barack gently smiled at his student. "Look, Duaa. I know you can be smart if you try. So, tell you what. I have a small list of major battles from Aseel's War. I would like you to study them, the major people involved, and then report back to me the first opportunity you get, alright?"

"...Okay," Duaa nodded. "I think I can do that."

"Good," Barack said. "Now then, let's try again…."

 _ **Barack and Duaa have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The Nejem and the Botros sat across from each other. At either's side sat another party. At Sulaiman's side, his ifrit side, invisible to Nayru. At Nayru's side, Ozymandias, who Sulaiman could not understand. They were rather impure reflections of each other.

Sulaiman spoke first. "I think this is the first time, Lady Lanayru, we ever spoke one-on-one."

"Nayru," Nayru corrected. "I don't like 'Lanayru', Prince Sulaiman."

"Sorry," the prince apologized. He then looked at Ozymandias affectionately leaning by her, and asked, "So… where did you get a wyvern?"

"Found him when I was exploring about ten years ago," she said. "He was my little baby, just hatched."

"And your brothers and father let you… keep him?" Sulaiman asked.

"We have so many spots in Kashab, they wouldn't have EVER found Ozymandias," Nayru smiled, hugging her wyvern.

"So you tamed and raised a wyvern from birth to adulthood," Sulaiman said. "My, that's rather impressive. And you're only… fifteen?"

"Yep!" Nayru replied. "You're four years older than me."

"And you… joined the army," Sulaiman noticed. Nayru nodded.

' _ **When this is over,'**_ Dark Sulaiman said, _**'we should convince Father and Aladdin to improve the screening process for our soldiers go through.'**_ Sulaiman raised an eyebrow. _**'You know by now that I have standards.'**_

"So, you're probably wondering why I left Kashab?" Nayru asked.

"Well, that is running on my mind," Sulaiman admitted.

"I hated being treated like a dainty little girl," Nayru answered. "Father's expectations of women are that they are obedient, quiet, and submissive to their husbands. Zaid is polite, but he treated me like I'm delicate. And Khalid barely cared what I did, as long as it didn't get in HIS way." She then asked, "What about you, Prince Sulaiman? I've heard you're considered an outcast in the Poswali courts. Mainly because of your status as a second born prince…."

"True, I am," Sulaiman replied. "Poswa has had a LONG history of spare nobles NOT being trustworthy people."

"Guess that may be the same for me, being the third born of my house," Nayru added. "And the same for your retainer, Lamia?"

"Lamia isn't ambitious, but her loyalty to me has made her suspect by many in the court," Sulaiman admitted. "Add in the fact that she's rather outspoken for a royal retainer, the nobles of the court don't know how to make heads or tails of her." Sulaiman then looked at Ozymandias, and asked, "So… out of curiosity, do you know where his birth parents are?"

"I'm not sure, really," Nayru answered. "Wyverns typically mate, lay their eggs somewhere, teach their babies how to hunt early, and then, about half a year after hatching, push their babies out of the nest and get them flying, according to my books. It took me five years to get Ozymandias flying because… well, lack of wings, and I didn't want to leave him."

"So that's why you came to Tanuhah," Sulaiman said. Ozymandias sat up and then walked somewhere. The two of them then sniffed the air, and then looked at each other, clenching their noses.

"...I take it someone tried cooking without either of us around," Nayru grimaced. "Most likely your shadow's 'bad days'."

"I am so glad that you can also cook," Sulaiman said with a groan. "Alright, let's go save the camp… again." The two then walked that way.

 _ **Sulaiman and Lanayru have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The Uprilian princess noticed Daif in his full jackal form curled up and napping. "Really, Daif?" Nerin questioned. "This is a colossal waste of your beaststone…." As if he heard her, Daif rolled over in his sleep onto his back. Nerin realized where she was looking, and turned her gaze, slightly blushing. "Okay, well… I guess we DEFINITELY know he's a he. Why do beast forms magic away the wearer's clothing?"

" **Magic… what?"** Daif questioned, eyes still closed.

"Daif, are you awake?" Nerin asked, walking towards his front. However, all she got out of him was a snore. "I guess you're just talking in your sleep." She then said, "Well, Daif… I know I'm not the best at saying it, but… thank you. You helped me out when I lost my guards to the Argelians that are following Minister Abay. I know you want help to save Ustros, and that's why you offered to guide me south, but even though we were outmatched, you stayed by my side. For that, I thank you."

" **...Welcome,"** Daif replied. He resumed snoring.

"I can't help but wonder what you're dreaming about," Nerin replied, gently brushing his fur with her hand. "I barely know anything about you, apart from the fact your tribe was willing to help us."

" **...Tell you… later…."** Daif sleepily promised.

"...I'll ask you when you're more awake," Nerin assured him.

 _ **Daif and Nerin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Sulaiman and Yasmin, the latter over the astral plate, sat down across from each other. _"Sulaiman, how are you doing, today?"_ Yasmin questioned. _"You've been rather busy, lately."_

"I'll be fine," Sulaiman attempted to assure her. However, she saw right through that.

" _You're tired,"_ she pouted. _"Both of you. You should be getting more sleep, not arguing with yourselves!"_

' _ **It's been rather… hectic,'**_ Dark Sulaiman admitted to his fiancée while Duaa began walking by. As she stopped in mild surprise, seeing Yasmin, Dark Sulaiman listed, _**'Between the Argelians, traveling to Cruibia, Duke Zahar's men, and trying to keep everyone from killing each other in our group, it's been an interesting adventure.'**_

"Is that… Lady Yasmin!?" Duaa practically squealed.

' _ **And then there's things like that,'**_ the ifrit deadpanned. _**'You two are on your own, I'm going to be quiet.'**_ He then faded away, leaving Sulaiman and Yasmin in time to witness Duaa rushing up and bowing to them.

"Lady Yasmin, it is an honor to meet you!" the knight breathed.

" _Sulaiman… who is this, out of curiosity?"_ Yasmin questioned.

"Oh, right, you two have NEVER talked," Sulaiman sighed. "Yasmin, this is Duaa. Aladdin requested her presence in my entourage. She's a fan of yours, and wishes to become one of your retainers."

" _Really?"_ Yasmin questioned.

"Yes," Duaa said. "I know it's strange, milady, that a Poswali knight would ask to protect a Cruibian princess, but I assure you, I'm very skilled. Just ask your future husband, here."

"Well, she IS a very powerful fighter and good at blocking attacks for others," Sulaiman said. "Honestly, she's saved my skin a couple times from Argelian templars."

" _Right, quarter-djinn,"_ the princess said. With a small smile, she said, _"Still, I'm not one hundred percent sure. I already have three capable pegasus knight retainers, and they may be jealous and confused as to why a regular armor knight is joining their ranks."_

"I've been meaning to ask for years, but why do you like pegasus knights so much?" Sulaiman questioned.

" _I like the idea of flying,"_ Yasmin said. _"I just can't really tame pegasi well, though."_

"Alright," Sulaiman sighed. He then turned to Duaa, and asked, "So, Duaa… why do you want to be Yasmin's retainer? You have a good career in Tanuhah and the Poswali army."

"Well," Duaa answered, "I feel that being a Poswali soldier is great, but there's only so much I can do to repair the damage my uncle did to my family's legacy. But also, Lady Yasmin has great fashion tastes and I'd love to get some opinions and—"

"Wait, what about your uncle?" Sulaiman interrupted. Duaa's eyes widened, and tears slipped down her face.

"...Oh… damn it," Duaa sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought HIM up."

" _Your uncle wouldn't happen to be… who I think it is, would he?"_ Yasmin questioned. _"That's interesting, Duaa. I'll have to consult Father and my Aunt Etti about this, see what they think. If you'll excuse me…."_ She then faded out of existence, leaving Duaa gritting her teeth, and she looked away from Sulaiman.

"Damn it…!" she yelled before running away.

"Duaa?" Sulaiman asked. He then sighed, before concentrating his rather small magic while Dark Sulaiman showed himself.

' _ **Do you think this has something to do with Great Uncle Aseel's War?"**_ the ifrit questioned.

"I didn't want to say it aloud," Sulaiman answered. "But yes. There's only one person in Poswa who can tell us for certain. And why he hired her despite this revelation in the first place." With that, Mecca showed up on the screen. "Hello, Father… we need to talk about the knight Aladdin hired."

 _ **Sulaiman and Duaa have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Lamia and Nerin sat by each other, reading. "This is rather relaxing, Lady Nerin," Lamia smiled at her new friend. "The only other people who join me in these are Lord Sulaiman, Lady Yasmin, and Rafi."

"Well, my mother IS a woman who works in the royal library," Nerin replied. "Oh, and it's just 'Nerin' for you, Lamia. You're nobility as well. And wasn't House Gerges Poswa's first royal family?"

"You've done your research," Lamia admitted. "Well, yes, but we gave up the throne after a few generations of ruling. We have our reasons, but House Gerges is loyal to a united Poswa, often serving Poswa's sultans and sultanas."

"And you're quite loyal to your prince," Nerin giggled. While Lamia blushed, Nerin questioned, "So do you have any siblings, Lamia?"

"Two elder brothers," Lamia replied, calming her blush. "It's probably nothing compared to your… amount of siblings."

"No offense taken," Nerin assured her. "My father has been rather… promiscuous. It frustrates Grandfather and Aunt Auset to no end that he has never been able to curb his libido. And what's worse is that he has practically blocked most of us from our mothers. At least for me, Mother's hard to shake off because she works in the royal library, which means she's always in the palace ready to give me advice. What about you, Lamia? How is your mother?"

"...Mine died the night your grandmother died," Lamia admitted. Nerin gasped.

"Oh…!" she realized. She then frowned. "Oh… why was she at the Widowing Massacre?"

"She was part of Sultana Farah's entourage," the cleric confessed, looking down at her book. "According to the reports from the coroners, Mother was killed with a sword through the small of her back attempting to heal off injuries to the sultana. Many people talk of the Orobian queens' deaths… but it was not just them who perished that horrible night."

"I'm sorry," Nerin frowned. "I know it wasn't just my family who lost people that night… but I didn't know a member of House Gerges perished as well."

"It's alright," Lamia replied. "The bigger, more important crisis was that the Argelian Empress assassinated five Orobian queens at once, and failed to justify WHY. And… we weren't as close as I wanted to be."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Nerin said. Looking at their books, she said, "You know, we should probably get back to our little book club."

"Right," Lamia agreed, turning back to her book. Nerin frowned as she looked at her own book.

'(I can tell you're in pain, Lamia,)' she thought to herself. '(We'll discuss our mothers later.)'

 _ **Lamia and Nerin have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

From over a hill, a herd of wildebeests ran down. Sulaiman and Daif, the latter in his jackal form, ran after them.

"Did you really HAVE to alert the entire herd!?" Sulaiman asked, shooting a wildebeest dead. He was answered by Daif pouncing on another, snapping its neck, and rushing after another.

" **And miss out on the thrill of the hunt!?"** Daif asked. After killing another, he answered, **"What fun would that be!?"**

"Excuse me for being a pragmatist when it comes to hunting, Daif," Sulaiman said, killing another wildebeest with his bow. He then found one more to take down, and did so quickly. "I know you're a predator, but we sometimes need to feed the REST of our camp."

" **Fine,"** Daif frowned. He turned back into his humanoid form, and frowned. "You know, back in the jackal tribe in Ustros, you only really share your kills with your family. Everything else, as soon as you're able to hunt, you only can get what you can eat yourself."

"That's rather different from the jackal tribes of Cruibia," Sulaiman frowned.

"The jackal tribes differ from country to country," Daif replied. "Anything wrong with that?"

"Not really," Sulaiman said, walking over to skin one of his kills. "So, Daif, speaking of Ustros, the reason you were with Lady Nerin of Upril is because you wanted help freeing Ustros from the Empire. Why are you so concerned with it?"

"What makes you say that?" Daif questioned.

"Well, I figured as long as the empire chose to leave the beast tribes be, you would not be so concerned with who leads the human kingdoms," Sulaiman pointed out.

"And there's your answer," Daif replied. "Many people in my tribe, myself included, feel that Argelia taking over Ustros isn't going to just end with King Rifat being a mere figurehead should Argelia win the war. And as soon as Argelia wins against the human kingdoms, they'll turn their attention to making sure the shifter races 'fall in line', make us slaves or some crap like that. Heck, perhaps they'll even decide to wipe us out, and make fancy coats with our… coats or something. It's bad enough when jackal hunters come after us. At risk of being someone's pet dogs or worse, we're joining the resistance. Which of course means helping you so you can help us help save Ustros and the rest of Orobia."

"And I appreciate it," Sulaiman said, hoisting up the skinned carcass. "Now, where did we put the nets to haul these wildebeests back?"

"Oh was that what that rope was?" Daif asked. "I thought it was a chew toy!"

"...You didn't."

 _ **Sulaiman and Daif have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Lamia's Notes: Well, that's done. Good job sitting through and reading all of that. Thank you KazeNoKishiX for your support with Robin and Lord Sulaiman.

Now, about what's coming, next: the author is going to work on a few more supports for Miss Tawni's chapters, and then continue with Howe's, and finally finish up the _Night of Lore_ chapter with the Neo Crusaders of Argelia, the Geography of Orobia and beyond, the Manakete Migration, and the Rocs tribe. After that, well, the author has realized that there is no way you all will NOT want a Janiya chapter first, so he's decided that, in his profile page, to ask you all who do you want AFTER Janiya's chapter. Please vote!

Farewell, our subjects!


	28. Tawni and Company Supports, Round 2

Akiba's Notes: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to _Night of Tales._ I know, we've been gone awhile, but the author's been busy, and he recently purchased _RPG Maker MV_ in the deluded hope he can make _Night of Hearts,_ the prequel story to this starring Lady Minoo and Sultana Farah when they were younger, but to avoid too much copyright infringement with the _Fire Emblem_ series, he'll have to change a few details. It'll take him a while to realize it's probably a bad idea, but until then, we have things like this support chapter.

That said, thanks in advance to KazeNoKishiX for helping write the Sento Supports. We're downplaying the "Roast of Sento", however, mainly by not starting that until the next Support Set, but we'll get to it. Alright, onto the chapter.

* * *

 **Tawni and Company Supports, Round 2**

* * *

Tawni smiled as she finished writing in a book, Calypso in her lap. "{'And so, the Romani maiden and the dragon prince shared one happy, final kiss….'}" Tawni narrated. "{A happy end for all, don't you think?}"

"Of course you're a romantic, Tawni," a male voice chimed in. Tawni looked up in time to see her eyes covered by a pair of hands. "Guess who?"

"Kareem," Tawni smiled. "You do know that if those hands go ANY lower than my eyes, Father's given me the go-ahead to start cutting off fingers without any consequences?"

"And hands off," Kareem said, removing his hands.

"Oh, relax, as if I'd actually cut you," Tawni replied. "We've grown up together, and you look too much like your brother."

"Of course that's what you'd say," Kareem muttered. He then plucked the book she was working on from her hands, and teased, "So, this is what you're up to with your free time, now? Does your father know about this?" Calypso hopped on his head, blinding him.

"Hey, he knows I write!" Tawni frowned, stealing the book back from him before he could even read. After Kareem pulled the rabbit from his face, she continued, "I'm a storyteller and dancer by trade when I'm not a thief. As a storyteller, I tell tales I've heard of, but sometimes, I need to make up a story or two. But Father just has never… SEEN my writing."

"Okay, how much… you know, is in this?"

"None! I'm totally wholesome with my writing!" Tawni said, although with a blush. "Now, if you're quite finished thinking I go out of my way to put anything ABOVE perfectly young adult literature to a quill, was there a purpose for your intrusion into my tent without my consent, or what?"

"Besides me enjoying the view?" Kareem smirked. Tawni rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Alright, fine, I'll stop." He grew completely serious, which actually managed to scare the young gypsy. "I don't know if Jamal's said anything, but… I think the two of us need your help."

"Is this about… your mother?"

"That obvious, huh?" Tawni frowned at her companion. "Okay, okay! Yes, it bothers me that she disappeared YEARS ago! Unlike Jamal, I don't like expressing my pain about it on the surface."

"And thus, you hide it behind all the skirt-chasing and goofball attitude," Tawni teased.

"Hey, I'm at least ADMITTING that I find you sexy!" Kareem defended. "I bet Jamal is as big of a pervert as me! If not more so!" He then grew serious once again. "But she disappeared a long time ago with no explanation, not even to the rom baro. And Father's last request before he died was that we find the truth about why she left the caravan." He then pulled something out. An address. "I didn't want to tell Jamal, but the other day, while we were in town, I came across a lead that I found interesting."

"Wait," Tawni said, growing serious. "You actually found something!?"

"Shh!" Kareem said, placing his hand over her mouth. "Nu așa de tare, Tawni {Not so loud, Tawni}." Uncovering her mouth, he whispered, "Yes. Rumor is that someone fitting Mother's description has long set herself up as a dance instructor somewhere. Unfortunately, all I got before I was run out was the address, but I haven't had time to look it up. And the caravan's one astral plate is usually with the elders, so…."

"You need someone to distract them for you, at risk of the elders disagreeing with your search for your mother," Tawni concluded.

"Well, to start," Kareem said. "We're also going to need the trust of a mage, as well, to charge up the astral plate. Someone we both trust."

"So, a magic user and my cute face," Tawni said. "We'll find someone." She then frowned with a revelation that this plan was missing someone. "But what about Jamal? Shouldn't your brother know what you're up to?"

"It'll be a surprise for him!" Kareem assured her. "And I know you like to make him happy, so…."

"Alright, but if things get complicated, we HAVE to tell him."

"Deal," Kareem promised. Tawni smiled.

"Good, he deserves to know about his mother." She then said, "Now, I do believe I have a little bit of free time I'd like to get back to."

"I get the hint," Kareem said. "Let me know when we're ready, okay?"

"You'll be the first to know when we have someone we can trust," Tawni answered. "Now, go on, Kareem." Kareem left her tent, leaving Tawni to look at her manuscript. "Hm… now, where was I?" Calypso looked at a particular page. "Oh, there we were. Wait a second, this is the start. I guess I can start revising…." The bunny nodded. Tawni giggled. "Bine bine. Iar începem {Alright, alright. Here we go again}."

 _ **Tawni and Kareem have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"You know Sento, you are quite the sparring opponent. I could see why our world's enemies in this realm, are having trouble keeping up with you despite your… strange technique of sword-wielding," Akiba complimented. She sat down with Sento on a log while he drank some water. "But then again, you and Nasira are from different realms. I'm rather envious of both of you; you both get to come here from your own realm by your own choice." Akiba looked at the blue sky with a big sigh.

"Eh? Really Ms. Di- Ah, sorry, Akiba! I keep on forgetting that you guys don't use formality at all in the caravan. Both you and Guaril reminded me of Exalt Chrom."

"Chrom?" Akiba asked.

"The leader of Ylisse, where I'm from," Sento answered. "I served as a minor sellsword in the Ylissean League during the Valmese War. He was always trying to make some of us mercenaries drop the formality, ironically by pulling rank." Sento then thought about something. "Ah, speaking of different realms, is it true that in Nasira's realm, their Fire Emblem is a sword, and that in this realm, it is a magic lamp?"

"Ah yes, the Fire Emblem, an item that is very common yet different in many realms. I believe you may have to ask Nasira about her world's Fire Emblem, but yes. This realm's Fire Emblem is truly a lamp, but it was broken into fragments and they were spread far and wide away from each other before Gargec could repair it." Akiba sighed again and looked at Sento, who stared at her. "But, I'll spare you the full details, seeing as you aren't a strong believer of religion." Setno tilted his head as she crossed her arms and turned to her motherly glare. "So, if I may pry, what IS your history with religion?"

Sento, for a full minute, didn't answer. He looked skyward, and sighed, "When I was a kid, I too believed in religion. I was always running around, believing that Naga, my world's goddess, will spare us from violence, poverty, the works. Back then, I was training to keep that peace as a mercenary. My mentor, Mihai Pigma, saw me as a potential prodigy, saying 'Whoever this Naga lady was, she sent the right boy'." He paused and looked down at the sand. "But one day… that was ruined. Bandits attacked, slaughtering almost everyone I ever knew. Only my parents, both skilled warriors themselves, could stand up to that slaughter." Sento placed his right hand on his forehead while Akiba frowned. "I was young, so all I could do was run away. I hid in an alley that none of the bandits noticed. But it allowed me to see something. The leader of these bandits walked up to my parents, and for a minute, they lowered their guard. That minute was all the scum needed to get his goons to jump them at once, pin them down, and hold them at swordpoint. He laughed at their cries and executed them when they begged for mercy. The shock knocked me out. When I came to, it was days later and I was back in Ylisse, my homeland." He shot her a scowl. "Did Naga protect us, then? Did this world's Rerci?"

Akiba silently looked at Sento and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What realm were you in when this tragedy occurred?" The great knight asked, placing her hand on the mercenary's knee.

Sento let a few tears fall onto the sand. He answered, "Here. In Orobia. More specifically, I was in Rusnad." Ruffling his hair, he continued, "I always thought the gods would answer the people's prayers for protection. Well, where was Naga or this Rerci when everyone in my village were being slaughtered like pigs!? And why the hell would they allow scum like the Ustrosi Thieves Guild to keep active here in Orobia!? It's monsters like them that make people like me necessary!"

Akiba froze. '(This seems way too familiar… oh no… now I remember. I'm sorry, Sento… we arrived too late.)'

Before she could say anything, Sento stood up, wiped his tears away, and sighed. "I'm sorry that we have to conclude our sparring for the day on a sour note, but I'm a little tired, right now. Catch you later Akiba." He walked away, leaving Akiba lost in her thought.

The Cruibian great knight gritted her teeth. "Mihai Pigma ... tu monstru. Ai distrus viața bietului băiat, i-ai întărit inima și l-ai făcut să-i urască pe zei, în timp ce el nu făcea decât să te privească ca un mercenar ideal! Să nu mai vorbim de ceea ce ai făcut Lento și Hana, care credeau că ești un om bun {Mihai Pigma ... you monster. You destroyed the poor boy's life, hardened his heart, and made him hate gods, all while he did nothing but look up to you as an ideal mercenary! Not to mention what you did Lento and Hana, who thought you were a good man}!" She ranted in Romani. She took a deep breath, not used to it. She then said, 'Ar trebui să-l avertizez pe Guaril. Lento, Hana, iartă-ne că lăsăm fiul tău să cadă așa departe. Vă rog, priviți-l și protejați-l de el însuși {I should warn Guaril. Lento, Hana, forgive us for letting your son fall this far. Please, watch over him, and protect him from himself}.' She then walked back towards her and her husband's tent.

 _ **Akiba and Sento have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Himli checked over his digging equipment. "Alright, everything seems to be in order. Now… where to look?"

"Himli?" a familiar, young, female voice questioned. The miner turned to see the Uprilian troubadour approaching him. He immediately bowed, which caused Arya to frown. "Himli, we talked about this… you can't really bow to me, especially because we're supposed to keep my status as a princess rather 'low profile'. Not to mention that we royals in Upril don't really do that."

"Sorry, milady… er, Lady Arya… er… Arya," Himli stammered, standing up. "It's a force of habit."

"Well, try to break it," Arya suggested. "In the meantime… what are you up to?"

"Well," Himli said, "we have a bit of a break, so I figured I'd go out of the camp for a bit, find a good spot, and dig to see what's around here. You never know what gems or treasure are buried in the desert."

"Oh!" Arya beamed, her eyes sparkling. "The idea of spelunking for treasure! And you do it for a living?"

"It's not exactly one-hundred percent safe OR always profitable," Himli said. "I'm just really lucky when it comes to finding them. However, treasure hunting seems to, especially now that we're traveling with gypsies, draw in bandits. I used to just run all the time… I ain't a fighter."

"Neither am I," Arya admitted. "But you're learning, Himli."

"Yeah… I don't really like it, but it's the only way I'm gonna survive this adventure, let alone keep my family safe."

"I understand," the princess agreed. "Trust me, I perhaps am one of the few people here who knows, given who I am and what is happening in Upril." She then whistled, and her camel approached her. "Well, then, come along, Himli. We have a treasure to find so we can continue supporting our friends' campaign so we can save those we care about."

"Uh… huh," Himli said while the princess climbed aboard her camel. "Wait, what did I just agree to?"

"Come along, Himli!" Arya called again.

"R-Right!" Himli said, following after Arya and her camel with his digging equipment.

 _ **Arya and Himli have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

"Tsk. This rune is not good enough for my rain hex…" Nasira frowned, glancing at the rune in the middle of her tent's improvised nightstand. However, her concentration was interrupted by her stomach grumbling, and a yawn escaping her lips. "Ugh… why I must be starving and tired right now? I cannot let fate take over and lose all of my progress on this hex that I have spent so much time on. I have to keep going… for Nohr's sake…."

Nasira, after a few more minutes of work, snapped her fingers, causing the rune to disappear and be replaced by a new one, which she immediately began working on. She didn't get very far into her work when a pair of footsteps interrupted her train of thought. She dispersed her rune, grabbed a nearby tome, and turned around, a small tornado in her hands… only to see Sento, holding a tray with two bowls of soup and a pair of cups.

"Um, hello to you too, Nasira," Sento said.

"Good gods, I almost killed you!" Nasira breathed, dispersing her spell and closing her tome. Her worry dispersed into a rage almost immediately. "Next time, Sento Strieghart, I would strongly advise that you call out to me for permission to enter. Or better yet, not interrupt me when I'm in the middle of my research. Now, to what do I owe the displeasure of your interruption so I may get back to work?"

"Okay, writing on the wall very clear, you don't like being interrupted when you're working on your magic," Sento said. "Anyway, Nasira, we missed you at dinner. Against Tawni and Akiba's warnings, I brought you something to eat and some tea to wash it down. And in case you wanted company, I brought my own."

Nasira sat in her chair silently, thinking whether or not she should dismiss the mercenary. After about ten seconds of mental debate—and a small grumble from her stomach—the dark mage shrugged and closed her eyes. '(I suppose a bit of a reprieve wouldn't go unwelcomed. And as far as the company is concerned… well, it could be worse,)' the dark mage mused. She opened her eyes, and declared, "Very well Sento Sieghart, you have the maiden's permission to enter and dine. But any 'funny business', and you may find your destiny approach faster than you are prepared for."

Sento walked in, placing the tray down on the nightstand. "You don't have to have a full-name basis with me, Nasira," the mercenary smiled at Nasira, pulling out a napkin and silverware. "Just call me 'Sento', or 'Sieghart' if you don't feel like it. Anyway, this is a pretty good soup our gypsy friends made." Sento then grabbed a spare chair the dark mage had for guests and sat down across from her. Grabbing his own bowl, he questioned, "Do you think one of us should ask for the recipe?"

"What are you doing here in Orobia, Sieghart?" the dark mage questioned.

"...What?"

"I am many things, Ylissean mercenary, but a stutterer is not one of them," Nasira answered. She slowly pushed her bowl aside, grabbed her tome, and flicked it open to the more complicated spell pages. "What is your game Sieghart? I may have been busy with my work, today, but I am not at all ignorant of your movements. You've been running back and forth throughout the caravan, either helping out or asking questions. Not to mention while everyone else's motives are clear, my own included for the betterment of my realm, your movements and actions wouldn't be too out of place in the Nohrian court and its spy games!"

"The Nohrian… royal court?" Sento questioned.

"Oh, it's a rather dangerous place," Nasira recalled. "Makes the Poswali and Ustrosi nobles look like actually decent people, save for the Nohrian royal children when you get to know them. But the point is, I know a potential mole when I see one, and you behave like someone who has experience in the spy games!" With that, she stood up, holding a palm-sized twister in front of Sento's face. "Tawni and the others may trust you, but I do not. I know as Outrealmers, we should share that experience. But the Nohrian in me can't help but see the worst in you. So allow me to make this perfectly clear: consider betraying MY friends here for but a second, and the next second shall bring swift and brutal suffering, followed by the feeling of nothing." When she saw that he didn't so much as flinch, Nasira increased the velocity of the winds. "Does the Nohrian maiden make herself clear, Sieghart?"

Sento smirked, before giving her a reply that she didn't expect. "Why yes, the maiden of darkness makes herself perfectly clear. And she has the mercenary of House Sieghart's word, he shalt not harm the people of this caravan. They have my sword, swift as the wind, and my sense of justice, stronger than the hardest of metals, by their side." Sento coughed in embarrassment. "Gods, I guess listening to Princess Lucina's cousin TALK finally rubbed off on me." Nasira blinked, dispelling her wind, before breaking down laughing.

"What in the name of the Dusk Dragon was THAT!?" she questioned. "You sound just like Odin Dark, a mage I knew! I mean, sure, I'm guilty because I had to listen to him as Lord Leo's retainer, but not even I sound quite like that!" Wiping away her tears, she said, "Besides, that was terrible, even for we dark mages. I would give you a HORRIBLE grade for your use of our slang." She finally sat down, crossing her legs. "Well, I suppose I should at least attempt to trust you. And I shouldn't let the cooks' meal go to waste." She grabbed her soup, and finished, "As long you keep your word, mercenary of House Sieghart, we shall be allies. But the next time you wish to use this dramatic heroic flare, I would strongly advise you get an acting coach. Perhaps for one of our performances." She started eating, while Sento stared at her.

"Y-y-you are kidding, right? You guys are not actually going to make me perform, are you?"

"Sento, we are traveling with a band of performers," Nasira smiled. "We're obligated to at least help out." She then closed her eyes and enjoyed her meal, while Sento paled.

'(I can't believe she just tricked me!)' He grabbed his tea, and began sipping it, '(But then again, I did join the caravan with my own will. Might as well help out—)'

"You know Sieghart, you are quite bold to ask a lady for a date without getting to know her properly." Sento dropped his mug, barely avoiding splashing it on himself.

"D-Date!?" the mercenary questioned, blushing.

"You and I, alone, sharing a meal, pretty much qualifies as a small date," Nasira explained with a giggle. "Pretty forward, Sieghart. But I suppose as far as 'first dates' are concerned, this is an okay one." She continued eating while leaving Sento flabbergasted.

 _ **Nasira and Sento have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Reyie flew over Kizil, laughing as she did so. "Bu fırsat için teşekkürler Kızıl {Thanks for this opportunity, Kizil}!" Reyie smiled.

The templar answered, "Bir şey değil Reyie {You're welcome, Reyie}." He then looked around, and said, "Biz Argelian askerleriyken, kız arkadaşına göre her zaman daha güvenilir olanıydın {Back when we were Argelian soldiers, you were always the more reliable one compared to your girlfriend}."

"Herneyse, seninle Hace arasında neler oluyor? Siz ikiniz gizlice kanatlarımın arkasından çıkmıyorsunuz değil mi {What is going on between you and Hace, anyway? You two aren't secretly dating behind my wings, are you}?"

Kizil confessed, "Hayır, ama seninle tanışmadan önce kız kardeşimle yatmayı kullandı {No, but she DID use to sleep with my sister before she met you}." Reyie stopped flying to look at Kizil. "Evet, Peder ve ben onları ziyarete eve geldiğimden sonraki sabah çıplak yatakta birlikte bulduk. Kız arkadaşının ailesinin tapınak olduğunu bilmiyordu. Bir büyücü olarak garip olmalıydı {Yeah, Father and I found them together in bed naked the morning after when I came home for a visit. She didn't know her girlfriend's family were templars. Had to be awkward as a mage}."

Blushing, Reyie asked, "Hace'ı gördün mü ... çıplak … {You've seen Hace... naked…}?"

"Doğum günü elbisesiyle ablamı Hace hakkında endişelendiriyor diye görmek için yaşamdan biraz daha korkmuştum, ama mesele bu {I was a little more scarred for life about seeing my elder sister in her birthday suit to be concerned about Hace, but that's beside the point}." He then said, "Bir templar ve Hace olarak durumum zaten birimin bir parçası olarak hizmet ediyordu ve kız kardeşimi ayrılmaya zorladı, ama Hace her zaman asi bir baş belasıydı. Ve geçmişe bakıldığında, kız kardeşimin Dük Aksoy'un şatosundaki büyüsünü araştırdığı gerçeğinden bahsetmemenin tuhaf olduğu bir noktaya değindi {My status as a templar and Hace already servicing as part of my unit forced her and my sister to break up, but Hace has always been a rebellious troublemaker. And in retrospect, she did have a point that it was bizarre to have NOT mentioned the fact that my sister was researching magic in the late Duke Aksoy's castle}."

"Hace'ın şu ana kadar kız kardeşinin yanında olduğunu bana söylemedin {I'm a little upset you didn't mention it to me that Hace was with your sister until now}," Reyie frowned.

"Bu seninle tanışmadan önceydi ve sana söylemeliydi {This was before you and Hace met, and she should have told you}," Kizil replied. "Her neyse, Reyie, ne zaman kampa geri dönmeye hazırsan, haberim olsun. Aşağıdan bir gözetlemeye çalışacağım {Anyway, Reyie, whenever you're ready to head back to camp, let me know. I'll try to keep a lookout, down here}."

"Emrettiğiniz gibi efendim {As you command, sir}!" Reyie said, continuing her flight.

 _ **Kizil and Reyie have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Tawni hummed to herself while brushing her rabbit. Calypso seemed to cluck in joy in her arms. Hace, meanwhile, approached Tawni. "I didn't know rabbits… honked…."

"It's alright," Tawni smiled. "So, Hace, what can I do for you?"

"What makes you think that I have a problem?" the mage questioned.

"Hace, with all due respect, I seem to be almost everyone in the caravan who is in any condition to fight's confidant," Tawni replied. "I mean, besides either Mother or Father. It makes sense, since Father's rom baro, I'm his protege, and Mother is usually the only sane woman besides Jamal."

"Fair point," Hace said. "We kind of didn't have anyone to talk to back in Argelia's army, though, apart from just each other when not in battle. Your caravan is really a big family."

"Thank you!" Tawni smiled. "Still, there's an air around you that seems that you have something you want to get off your chest."

"Alright, you got me," Hace finally admitted. "So, a little bit about me: back before this whole war started, I was just a regular mage who worked for Duke Ferit Aksoy, one of the members of the Imperial Inner Circle."

"The Imperial… Inner Circle?" Tawni questioned. "There's such a thing?"

"You don't think EVERYTHING in Argelia can just be overseen by the Empress and her family, do you?" Hace giggled. "No, the empire got so big between willing countries joining us as vassal states or defeat in battle, the royal family had to let some trusted nobles be in charge of their own territories yet report back to the Empress. For instance, Duke Ferit Aksoy runs… or, rather, RAN the territory that used to be the country of Aksoy, which is where our navy's main headquarters is stationed."

"Ran?" Tawni questioned. "You mean he's… dead?"

"Sadly, just happened right before the eve of the disastrous battle that led to us meeting, so morale was low," Hace said. "Rumor is he was assassinated in Poswa, but not by Poswali soldiers. No, he was killed by a pirate that had, until recently, been under his own daughter Admiral Sema Aksoy's command. Ironic that his own daughter, who loved him very much, would bring about his end with her own leadership failure."

"And let me guess," Tawni questioned. "You want me to help you find this pirate?"

"Oh screw that!" Hace said. "The rest of the Argelians are on that chase! As much as I admired my former boss, I'm pretty sure Admiral Sema will deal with his killer in due time if not one of her brothers. That pirate is a dead man walking, and while handing him over would get us back with Argelia, I'd rather focus on my real adventure: knowledge! But right now, about Duke Ferit: he was a bit of a book collector, to the point that he had his own library island. He had acquired dozens of books on magic, science, warfare, ancient treasures, you name it, odds are there's a book in his library on it! Heck, there's a story that he met his WIFE because of that library!"

"And… you want to raid this library island?"

"Not really," Hace replied. "I just want one book from it that I've heard being in there. And you're a huge bibliophile if I've heard correctly."

"Is it that obvious?" Tawni questioned.

"You kept yourself and us alive when we were all prisoners of the Botros' by telling the future head of the house stories that kept him in suspense, and his little brother couldn't kill us or have his way with us without his elder brother's permission," Hace recalled.

"Well, my day job is that of an entertainer," Tawni replied. "But yes, I love stories. I wonder if Duke Aksoy collected a few thrilling fiction stories?"

"Then you're on board, awesome!" Hace cheered. She then frowned. "The problem, though, is that I have NO idea where it is. I'm afraid that was a secret he shared only with his family, personal servants, and the Empress and her Emperor Consort. And with me being currently on the outs with the empire because of Admiral Ugur setting my unit up to die…."

"You can't just approach this Sema woman and ask if she can show you where it is," Tawni concluded.

"Yeah, that's a problem," Hace admitted. "Sorry."

"It's alright, we'll fix it… somehow," Tawni said.

"Thanks, Tawni," Hace smiled, brushing her fingers over Calypso. "I'll make it up to you! Just let me see if I can find SOMEONE with looser lips about the location, and we'll charm them into telling!"

"That we will!" Tawni grinned. "Consider it added onto the list of things we'll do in Argelia!"

 _ **Tawni and Hace have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Akiba silent walked her camel through the camp, keeping her eyes out for any signs of suspicious behavior. She then heard rustling. Placing her hand on the hilt of the sword she borrowed from her husband, Akiba slowly approached the source of the rustling, seeing Arya's tent fluttering open, and noises coming out of it. Her instincts going into overdrive, Akiba drew her sword, and entered the tent…

Only to see Arya, tossing and turning in her sleep, tears streaming down her face. "No… no, please… don't go there…! The enemy is coming…!"

"Oh dear," Akiba muttered. She sheathed her sword, and gently knelt down, placing a soothing hand on Arya's head. "Arya… Arya…?" Arya's eyes' shot open. She then looked to see the concerned look on her face. "Bad dream?"

"...Yes," the princess nodded.

Several minutes later, Guaril and Tawni, the latter clad in her own pajamas, were in the troubadour's tent, Tawni hugging Arya the way an older sister would their younger one, and Arya holding a cup of hot cocoa. Akiba, meanwhile, explained, "So, apart from Arya having a night terror, nothing out of the ordinary so far, Guaril."

"You always did know how to soothe both myself and Tawni whenever we had bad dreams," Guaril commented after Arya finished her hot chocolate. Turning to Arya, he asked, "So, if you don't mind me prying, Princess, what happened in your dream that you can remember?"

"...Some of my older siblings and even some of my guards and I were being pursued by enemy soldiers," Arya said. "Argelians, I think. But then, my siblings decide enough is enough, and charge at them. They disappear, and then my escort… my escort, to buy me time…!"

"It's okay," Akiba interjected. "You don't have to say anymore. It's never pleasant, losing people. As a soldier, I understand it was always a potential risk having to lay down my life for the royal family's."

"People shouldn't have to, Lady Akiba," Arya argued. "Why do people have to die for me!? I don't really have that great of a claim to the throne of Upril! I'm not really good at being 'royal'!"

"But people can tell you're a good person, Arya," Akiba said. "Right, Tawni?"

"Right," Tawni smiled, still hugging her friend. "It doesn't matter if you're a princess or a beggar, it's your kind soul that makes people like us willing to risk it all for you! You saved my father's life when he nearly got himself killed trying to save us from dragons, and you helped me figure out my new powers! Allow us to at least ATTEMPT to return the favor."

"Everyone…." Arya breathed. She teared up again, and this time lunged into Akiba's arms, crying into her chest. Akiba looked at her family, who only offered small shrugs and smiles. Akiba just hugged the princess. Once Arya was finished, she said, "Thank you…! But please, don't die on my account…."

"We're Roma," Akiba replied. "We don't die easily. We tend to trick everyone, occasionally even Death." She then said, "Alright, we should probably get everyone back to bed." She then picked Arya up and began carrying the princess bridal style.

"Where are we going?"

"You're sleeping with Tawni, tonight," the great knight answered. "No sense in sending you back to sleep at risk of another nightmare, right now." The four then left the tent, Tawni smiling as she skipped behind them.

 _ **Akiba and Arya have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Reyie moaned in ecstasy. "KESİNLİKLE sihirli ellerin var Hace {You DEFINITELY have magic hands, Hace}," the falcon woman sighed while Hace rubbed her wings.

Hace questioned, "Kanatların inanılmaz sert, Reyie. Ne yapıyordun {Your wings are incredibly stiff, Reyie. What have you been doing}?"

"Sadece bir süre oldu, gerçekten ... sadece uçtum {It's just been a while since I really just... flew}," Reyie confessed. She then got up from the massage, and said, "Elbette, Argelia ile teknik olarak feci olduğumuz için tam olarak uçamayız {Of course, with Argelia, we can't exactly go flying about, since we're technically deserters}."

"Komutan bir subay bizi kasten intihar görevine soktuğunda VE neredeyse Neredeyse öldürülmesini ve Poswali askerleri tarafından hepimizin yakalanmasını sağladığında, sanırım biz terk edilmiş olanlarız {When a commanding officer deliberately sets us up on a suicide mission AND gets you nearly killed and all of us captured by Poswali soldiers, I think WE'RE the ones who were deserted}," Hace argued. After a minute or two of thought, Hace admitted, "Adil olmakla birlikte, şu anda çingenelerle takılıyoruz {Although, to be fair, we are currently hanging out with gypsies}."

"Argelian'ı kim anlayabilir ki bu arada {Who can understand Argelian, by the way}," Tawni added as she walked by.

"Tamam, biraz gizliliğe sahip olamıyorsak, Argelian'da sohbet etmenin amacı nedir {Okay, what is the point of having a conversation in Argelian if we can't have some privacy}?" Hace called after Tawni. Sighing, she turned to Reyie, and said, "Eğer kanatlarınız hala fiziksel aktivite eksikliğinden çok sertse, onları tekrar şekillendirecek birkaç fikrim var {Well, if your wings are still too stiff from a lack of physical activity, I have a few ideas that will definitely get them back in shape}."

With a blush, Reyie commented, "Bunun hakkında konuştuk. Hala tam olarak ... henüz hazır değilim {Hace, we talked about this. I'm still not exactly... ready yet}."

"Eğitim için mi {For training}?" Hace questioned.

"... Ah. Orada başka bir şey ifade ettiğini düşünmüştüm {...Oh. I thought you meant something else, there}." Hace laughed at her girlfriend's misinterpretation.

"Daha sonra BU hakkında konuşmak için bol bol zaman var. Fakat bir sonraki savaşımızdan önce muhtemelen kanatlarınızı yeniden şekillendirmeliyiz. İhtiyacımız olan son şey, düşmanlarımıza karşı bir savaşın ortasında krampa çıkman {There's plenty of time to talk about THAT later. But we should probably get your wings back in shape before our next battle. The last thing we need is you cramping up in the middle of a fight against our enemies}." Hace then grabbed Reyie's hand, and dragged her off to go train.

 _ **Hace and Reyie have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

The templar sat across from the genie, the latter glaring at him with unhidden malice. Kizil, meanwhile, continued to eat in silence, ignoring Node's glare.

A couple of hours later, Kizil trained with his sword and shield, the golden orichalcum shield shining on his left arm while he swung with his right. Several yards away, sitting on her carpet while out of his attack range, Node continued glowering at him.

Some hours after that, Kizil was a few kilometers outside of camp patrolling for anything out of the ordinary. When he didn't see anything odd but the sun was setting, he then shrugged, and turned around… only to see Node in his face, her face bright red with rage.

" **WHY THE HECK ARE YOU IGNORING ME!?"** the jann finally snapped.

"...Can I help you?" Kizil asked, relatively calm.

"How!? How can you not even REACT to me openly hating you for the entire day!?" Node questioned. "I've been anything but obvious!"

"Is this about me being a templar, me being an Argelian, or both?" Kizil asked.

"Both!" Node replied. "My home country is being ravaged by your empire thanks to Minister Abay! Dobi and I may have been freelancers, but we have STANDARDS! Not to mention you, as a templar, are an enemy of the free djinn!"

"In defense of the templars, humans needed protection from potentially dangerous magic," Kizil replied. "It just happens to be djinn who have been abusing magic the most at the expense of humans."

"What proof do you have?" Node asked.

"Do you wish for a list or would 'the Escen War' be enough?" Kizil asked.

"I'm not familiar with that one," Node frowned.

"Of course, most Orobians WOULDN'T know the war that led to Argelia going from small nation to starting our empire," the templar muttered. "Remind me to tell you, later. An example you probably ARE familiar with is Sizah, the Chaos Djinn who, years ago, ravaged Orobia on multiple occasions. She almost was as bad as the Magic King of Escen, Bhuzzibaf the Cruel."

"Okay, seriously, what the heck was Escen?" Node questioned.

"Again, I will tell you, later," Kizil said. Node frowned with a small growl, but Kizil raised a hand. He then said, "Look, the point here, Node, is that as bad as you may think I am, at least I'm not a ruthless set of cutthroats who see you as a meal ticket. Isn't that right, gentlemen?" At this point, a group of brigands emerged from their hiding spots.

"Good eye, templar," the leader of the brigands said. "Not that it's gonna do you any good. Kill him, boys, but the genie girl, keep alive."

"Now you get to see the OTHER part of the templar order, Node," Kizil said, unsheathing his weapons. "Cleaning up the rabble." He then charged into battle against the knights, while Node summoned her spellbook, and started casting spells.

Several dead brigands later, the two walked back into camp, Kizil's hair tingling, while Node frowned. "So… are we calm, now?" he questioned.

"...A little," Node said. "But you owe me a story. And I still don't really trust you."

"Fair enough," Kizil said. "That will be an uphill battle for another time."

 _ **Kizil and Node have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Guaril stretched after his latest meeting with the elders. "A fost o întâlnire plină de evenimente {Well, that was an eventful meeting}," Guaril said. He then looked around, and spotted Sento. "Sento, a word."

"Hm? Oh, Mr. Dighton!" Sento breathed. He turned around to reveal the two large crates he held. "I am just about to bring these crates into the convoy. Is it alright if we could talk along the way? I am kind of on a tight schedule right now. I need to help Jamal to bail out his brother from the pub, and then I'm on food duty, tonight. My apologies if I sound quite rude for a moment."

"Your apology is accepted," Guaril answered. "You are quite a busy man for someone so young, Sento. Other sellswords I know have only done half as much for whomever's paying them. I have to ask, though: why are you doing so much on your own when it would be easier to ask a few hands to take care of it?" Guaril begins to walk alongside by Sento as they are walking toward the convoy. "I appreciate that we have a bit of extra muscle around here, but you're going to overwhelm yourself."

Sento grew silent. A few moments later, he answered, "It is because I don't want to stay on the sidelines and watch everyone else do the work while I am just standing around, swinging a sword. You guys may not hire me simply because I chose to volunteer my services, but I want to help out and make a difference in the caravan." Sento and Guaril walked into the convoy, then Sento loaded the crates atop of others. "Anyway, what is it that you wanted to talk about Mr. Dighton?"

"Guaril," the trickster answered. Sento stared in confusion. "'Rom baro' if you're feeling formal,but otherwise, call me 'Guaril'." As the two walked out of the convoy, he said, "But what I wanted to talk about can wait. Don't you need to help Jamal out with Kareem right now?"

Sento gasped. "Ah! I nearly forgot about them!" He passed by Guaril, only to stop and jog in place for a moment. "Thank for the reminder Mr. Di—erm… Guaril! We'll have to catch up later!" Sento soon began to sprint into the town.

"Very well, we'll talk, later." Guaril smiled to himself. As he walked to his tent, he muttered, "Lento, Hana, ai făcut un tânăr foarte interesant, muncitor. Dacă l-ai putea vedea, acum {Lento, Hana, you've made a very interesting, hard-working young man. If you could only see him, now}."

 _ **Guaril and Sento have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Tawni carried her freshly dried clothes, humming to herself. "Îmi place mirosul de rufe proaspete dimineața {Ah, I love the smell of fresh laundry in the morning}," the gypsy girl smiled. She then opened her eyes, just in time to see Kizil approaching her. She quickly spun out of the way, barely catching some of her laundry that she had thrown in the air. The rest, Kizil caught. "Üzgünüm, Kizil! Nereye gittiğimi izlemeliydim {Sorry, Kizil! I should have watched where I was going}!"

"Sorun değil, sana seslenmeliydim {It's alright, I should have called out to you}," the templar apologized. "Ama ... özellikle seninle konuşmak istedim {But… I wanted to talk to you, specifically}." He then looked at what laundry of Tawni's he caught, and flushed when he realized he was holding some of her… unmentionables. He hastily returned it to her, and asked, "Can we do this in Orobian? And… I'm sorry about that."

"Sure," Tawni said, not even embarrassed by what happened. "Just don't mention that to either Mother, Father, or Nasira, or at least claim it was an accident, and you will not be made a eunuch."

"The fact that YOU know what that means scares me," Kizil muttered. Aloud, he said, "I wished to once again thank you for your rescue of myself and what was left of my unit. It occurs to me that you could have easily left us to die and escaped on your own, so I owe you my life. But even with my newfound gratitude to you as well as the clear intent by the likes of Admiral Ugur and Minister Abay to commit war crimes and send those they don't like on suicide missions, I can't help but express my… reluctance about going up against my former countrymen. Which is going to be what will inevitably happen on this path we're on. I know the girls aren't as reluctant since they are far more opinionated than I, but they don't have a dad who's a high-ranking templar guardian."

"So your work runs in the family?" Tawni questioned. "Small world."

"Right, I realized that," Kizil said. "We're our father's children, you and I, which is why I felt the need to tell you this. Having said all that, are you certain you wish to go up against the might of Argelia?"

"I don't really think I have much of a choice if I want to uncover who I really am and what my story really is," Tawni replied with a frown. "Besides, your country kind of persecuted my caravan DECADES ago, so we of the Dighton caravan of Romani don't have a lot of love lost for Argelia."

"...I won't deny that," Kizil said. "Father's told me that there are missions he's not proud of as a templar. Hunting and arresting gypsies, for example. Especially gypsy sorceresses. But there were actually bad ones… like the witch Fati Blythe. She and her followers were threats to the citizens of Argelia, believe it or not."

"Wait… Blythe?" she asked.

"You know the name?"

"Well, I've heard of Roma like Blythe from Father," Tawni said. "It was people like her and her family that give us Roma a bad name."

"You mean… nevermind," Kizil muttered. "That would have been rude." He then said aloud, "Well, at least I know your resolve. I'll follow your orders as best I can, Tawni."

"You say that like I'm a general or something," Tawni smirked. "Not a teenage girl."

"You don't really see it, but you have some kind of presence that screams 'natural leader'," Kizil pointed out. "Almost everyone in this caravan has something positive to say about you. You'd make a hell of a commander if you lent your mind to actual military tactics."

"I wouldn't go that far," Tawni said. "I only fight because this life is rather dangerous, and my people and I want to be safe and free."

"Understandable," Kizil nodded. "Well, something to think about. I should probably go on patrol, here. Take care, Tawni."

"You as well, Kizil," Tawni waved, walking off with her laundry.

 _ **Tawni and Kizil have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Jamal strolled through the tents, feeling relaxed. After a while, noticed Sento sitting on a crate, inspecting his sword. However, the odd thing was that the pair of binoculars that he had on the crate next to him was a blade was popped out on the side of the binoculars. 'What is he up to?' The knight asked himself as he walked towards the mercenary. "Hello Sento. What is that you have there?"

"Heyo Jamal," The Ylissian replied. "That is one of my old spy gadgets. A pair of binoculars that, in desperation, doubles as a combat knife." Jamal looked at Sento cautiously, backing up. Sento snickered, "Don't worry, I am not planning to backstab anyone here. Especially not the girl that you are interested in." Jamal's face turned red.

"Wha… What do you mean the girl that I am interested in?!" Jamal loudly asked, backing away with a redder face.

Sento replied, "It's pretty obvious, Jamal. Or do you want me to mention it to her?" He jabbed his thumb to the left. Jamal followed his thumb to see Tawni walking towards them, concern on her face.

Tawni placed her hand on Jamal's forehead, and questioned, "Jamal, are you okay? You're getting warmer. I can get my Father and the elders, if you'd like." Jamal only turned redder.

"Hoo boy…" Sento rolled his eyes. Grabbing a bucket of water, he instructed, "Tawni, please move aside." Tawni looked at Sento, backing up, and was about to tell Sento to stop—

 _ **SPLASH!**_

Tawni covered her mouth, watching Jamal return to normal, albeit dripping wet. "You may thank me later," the mercenary said as he toss the bucket away. He sheathed his sword and the binocular's hidden blade.

Jamal nervously smiled at Tawni, "I… I am okay now. Thanks for your concern." Tawni gave him an awkward smile and walked away. Once she was out of earshot, Jamal slumped down onto his knees and groaned. "Ugh, I could have used ANYTHING other than that moment, Sieghart…."

Sento sighed as he pat Jamal on the shoulder. "Relax, she HAS seen you in more compromising positions before, right? I mean, didn't you two and your brother grow up together?"

"Well… yeah but…" Sento interrupted him, gripping the shoulder, now.

"No buts, it could have been worse, and you know it. You can thank me for it, later."

"Anyway," Jamal said changing the subject, "you used to be a spy?"

"I may be a sellsword here, but Ylisse and Chon'sin, I was involved in covert operations with a guild of spies. I had some mentors, including my older cousin. Then again, everyone was at least five years older than me..." Sento said, leading them away to talk in private.

 _ **Jamal and Sento have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Hace frowned, watching Nasira with her tarot cards. "How long does this take, out of curiosity?" the regular mage asked her dark mage counterpart.

"The reading of the tarot is not to be rushed, Hace," Nasira said, not opening her eyes. "I know magic is our forte, but the future is always malleable." She then drew the card, and looked at it. "The… Reversed Fool. Well, that makes sense."

"Reversed Fool?" Hace questioned. "Um… what?"

"Sometimes, the cards get flipped upside-down, and that 'reverses' their usual meaning," Nasira elaborated. "For example, the normal Fool typically expresses beginnings, innocence, a free spirit, a blank slate. But then the Reversed Fool comes. They're a risk-taker, somewhat similar to you. But that risk-taking is also rather reckless. Also like you."

"...Well, I'm pretty sure there are PLENTY of people in this caravan who are reckless assholes. I mean, there's Kareem."

"True, but he's the Devil," Nasira said. "He does stupid things from a lack of self-discipline."

"Well, what about yourself?"

"I am the Star," Nasira smirked.

"Tawni?"

"She is the Wheel of Fortune."

"Himli?"

"The Moon."

"Akiba?"

"The Empress."

"Arya?"

"High Priestess."

"Node?"

"Reversed Temperance."

"Dobi?"

"Reversed Hermit."

"Sento?"

"The Tower."

"Jamal?"

"The Chariot."

"Guaril?"

"Reversed Death."

"...What!?"

"That one surprised me," Nasira admitted. "I guess there's a LOT he doesn't want to talk about. Well, he is the rom baro, and despite his athleticism, he is on the senior side of the line of mortality."

"Okay, that's something to think about," Hace frowned. "Still, I don't like mine! It makes me look like an idiot!"

"I can't help what I drew," Nasira said. "But I can tell you that you're not an idiot, Hace. But you are quite reckless and stubborn. You must control yourself and your temper, lest you be led by it down a path of ruin."

"That's a lot to think about," Hace said.

"Alright, enough bad thoughts," Nasira smiled. "By the way, that will be 200 Gold for the reading."

"Wait, you're CHARGING me!?"

 _ **Hace and Nasira have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Arya, spotting Kizil by himself checking over his equipment, inhaled, and exhaled. "(Alright, Arya… calm down, ask the questions you need, and avoid letting him know that you're an Uprilian princess.)" She then approached the templar, and said, "A word, Sir Kizil."

"Sir Kizil? Haven't been called by that title in a brief while," Kizil replied. "What can I do for you, Lady Arya?"

Arya paled. "H-H-H-How did you—!?"

"Figure you for a noble amongst the rough of our current company?" Kizil questioned. "Simple. Your accent isn't as plain as Miss Tawni or her friends'. Not to mention your clothing, while as pretty as Tawni's, is a bit fancier."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Tawni said behind them. Both jumped and saw Tawni innocently smiling at them. "So, you know that Arya's a noble incognito."

"I wasn't going to say anything in a public setting," Kizil said, "but yes. It was rather obvious." Turning to Arya, he suggested, "If you're going to try to dissuade others into believing you're anything other than a common vagabond, milady, you ought to change your look."

"I guess I could," Arya said. "Well, Sir Kizil, about why I approached you. You wouldn't have happened to have served in any recent battles in Upril, have you?"

"I'm afraid I was deployed straight to Rusnad about a year ago," Kizil replied. "I haven't set foot in Upril."

"So… you wouldn't really know anything about the war in Upril?" Arya frowned. Kizil shook his head.

"Unfortunately, not a whole lot," Kizil confessed. "All I know is Abay has most of Upril under his control."

"...So you wouldn't have any clues on the whereabouts of certain people?" Arya concluded.

"Certain people?" Kizil answered. He then realized it. "Oh, you must be referring to Minister Abay's 'bounty' on the royal family. Apparently, Upril's crown prince has spent his life as a major skirt-chaser, and has sired numerous… illegitimate children."

"(That's one way to describe my father,)" Arya muttered to herself.

"What?" Kizil questioned.

"Um, what was this about a bounty?" Arya asked.

"Right," Kizil replied. "Supposedly, Minister Abay found out after his attack on the Uprilian capital about these children, and that they had fled from the city before his siege. Minister Abay is convinced that Crown Prince Khai, or at least his father and sister, would be swayed into surrendering if Argelia captures these kids and hold them hostage, which is why he would prefer them alive and is willing to pay anyone who can bring one of Khai's children in a year's salary."

"...And… would you do this?" Arya questioned. Tawni looked between the two of them in concern.

"Honestly, no," Kizil replied. "I'm a soldier, not a bounty hunter. Not to mention even IF there was a chance of getting back in the army, something tells me Minister Abay has an ulterior motive for taking control of Upril that has nothing to do with the Emperor Consort or Empress' plans for the empire."

"...Oh," Arya said. "Wait, that's the only reason why?"

"Also, I kind of have standards," Kizil confessed. "Kill our armed enemies on the field of battle? No problem. Things like slay them in their sleep or strike down unarmed civilians? Take hostages our people have ill intentions for? That's a little much. Turn a nice young lady like you over to Minister Abay in the small, small chance that I'd be welcomed back into the army no questions asked? Absolutely not."

"Y-Y-You figured out that I'm a princess, too!?" Arya complained.

"You don't hide it very well," Kizil smiled, patting her on the head. "Anyway, if we're done here, ladies, I really should go on this patrol."

"...Okay," Arya said, letting him go.

 _ **Arya and Kizil have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Tawni found Node sitting in front of the young children in the caravan, showing off her magic. "Aw, Node, e atât de drăguț {Aw, Node, this is so cute}!" Tawni beamed.

"Mulțumesc, Tawni, {Thanks, Tawni}," the jann beamed. "Ești la timp, de fapt, să mă ajuți cu ceva {You're just in time, actually, to help me with something}."

"Ce este {What is it}?" Tawni questioned, walking over. Suddenly, a changing curtain appeared around Tawni. "Node, ce faci {Node, what are you doing}!?" When the changing curtain faded, Tawni was dressed in a white, midriff baring blouse and a pair of purple harem pants.

"Behold my newest trick!" Node grinned. "The quick change spell! I'm getting really strong with my magic!" The kids all clapped, but Tawni was a mix of stunned and angered.

Several minutes later, Tawni explained to Node in Orobian, "I'm not really mad about the fact that you used your magic to change my clothes, Node. I'm more upset that you didn't tell me in advance what the trick WAS."

"I thought it would have been a nice surprise," Node said, nursing the head bump Akiba gave her.

"It… was," Tawni said. "However, Node, the problem here is 'informed consent'."

"You hardly inform the boys when you use them as part of your performances," Node pointed out.

"That's because one, I don't hurt them or do anything that could be… potentially embarrassing or harmful," the gypsy explained. "For starters, neither you nor I practiced it BEFORE you pulled it off. I know you're confident, Node. In fact, you're probably a little overconfident. But my point here is 'what if something went wrong with the spell'? For example, I could have ended up NAKED. In front of a group of impressionable children. Or worse, the boys. I'm aware that I'm attractive, but these are very serious Romani rules you almost violated."

"Serious Romani rules?" the jann questioned. "You guys have them?"

"Ask Father later," Tawni said. "But anyway, Node, next time, warn me. Any other spells I should be aware of before you try to add this to our acts?"

"Hmm… well, I have a list of spells my teacher taught me somewhere," Node said, summoning her spellbooks. "I wonder where she is?"

"Your… mentor?" Tawni questioned.

"Yeah! Before I met Dobi, I was taught a few tricks by a skilled Uprilian genie!" Node replied. "Rumor is she was old enough to have played with Rerci as a kid!"

"A genie from the Rerci era?" Tawni asked. "We have to find her!"

"Why?" Node asked.

"Because a genie like that has to be incredibly powerful!" Tawni answered. "Who knows? Maybe she'll know things about… well, what happened to Rerci! Or even be able to teach us a few magic tricks that we CAN use! And besides, in times like this war, it never hurts to have a potentially powerful ally."

"I suppose I'll look up where Madam Ghassee spirited away to," Node said. "But don't expect anything too soon, Tawni. She's a hard woman to get in contact with once she goes underground."

"Do you mean that literally or figuratively?"

"Figuratively," Node assured her. "Now… since we're alone and safely in my tent, want to try that spell again, except with less risk of being indecently exposed."

"Hm… alright," Tawni said. "Thank you for the informed consent."

 _ **Tawni and Node have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Arya stared down at her third drained Heal staff for the day, frustrated with herself. She had just finished healing almost EVERYONE in the caravan after a long, hard battle that was nearly a disaster because of an ambush. "Why is it that all I'm good for is patching everyone up while they fight and nearly die for me!?" She silently clenched the staff hard enough to nearly splinter the wood of it. "Why is it that, wherever I go, chaos follows me!?"

"Arya, can I come in?" Sento called from outside her tent. The troubadour looked up.

"Sento?" Arya questioned. "Um, sure… but only for a little bit." The mercenary walked in, holding a tray of food for her. "Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome," Sento nodded, placing her tray on a nearby mat. He then noticed the small tear stains on her face and the splinters that threatened to enter her fingers. '(Hm, Arya doesn't seem like her cheery self. Probably because of that last battle. Note to self, try to avoid talking about—'

"Sento." The mercenary's train of thought ended when the sixteen-year-old princess shifted herself to face him, placing down her staff. "Be honest with me. Do you think that I am a burden to our companions?" Sento awkwardly sat down in front of her. "A LOT of people got hurt in that ambush, some of them for me. I don't know if I am truly helping Miss Tawni and the others. Everybody is fighting, even Sir Guaril. Before we came along, he was the only person trained to heal, so they had to keep an eye on him. Now, I'm here, and I feel the only reasons everyone is protecting me are because I'm a princess and thus a good meal ticket, and my Fire Emblem fragment, which I've also had to use today. A lot. I… just don't want what happened to my… to my guards… oh gods… I don't want it to happen again…!" She wept into her hands, leaving Sento to sit down and soak in her words.

After an inhale, he answered, "No, I don't believe that you are a burden. If anything, you're the one CARRYING a bigger burden than most of us, even me." Arya looked up, tears still adorning her face, while Sento rested a hand on her shoulder. "In fact, you and Guaril saved our lives in that disaster. People overlook a good medic's contribution, but I've learned not to." Sento sat down next to her. "Besides, is it not natural for any of us to protect each other no matter what? We are all in this together. You are no exception to the caravan as well Arya." Sento nodded while closing his eyes. "What you could do, of course, is to start learning self-defense techniques!"

Arya wiped away her tears, and nodded, "Yes… you are right Sento! I should try to get stronger! That way, everyone won't just protect me… I'll protect them!" She quickly grabbed her staff, and took a few semi-descent twirls with it before taking a mock fighting stance. Sento then slowly backed away from her. Arya pouted, "Sento, please! I need a sparring partner!"

"Um, Arya… I'm glad you're feeling better, but we shouldn't do this in the middle of a small tent, to start. Second, wouldn't you rather an ACTUAL combat weapon instead of a staff? And third… why right now!? We just barely survived that ambush!"

"No time like the present, Sento!" Arya replied. "That's what my oldest brother would say about learning how to fight!"

"Oh, right, I forgot, multiple half-siblings," Sento muttered. "Who happen to be semi-to-really-skilled combatants… oh crap." He then yelped as Arya hit him on the head with her staff.

Several minutes later, the two were sitting in front of the three Dightons, Arya apologizing while bandaging up Sento. "And that's what happened?" Guaril questioned with an angry glare, making sure his wife's arm was bandaged properly. "And then you chased him through the camp?"

"I'm sorry," Arya replied.

"Well, I for one am glad you decided to start learning techniques," Tawni said. "But baby steps, Arya. It's how I learned, and it's how you'll learn." She then turned to Sento, and said, "If you need help tutoring her, let one of us know."

"Wait, ME tutor her!?" Sento questioned.

"You brought the idea up to her, you take responsibility," Akiba answered. Sento groaned while Arya smiled.

 _ **Sento and Arya have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Node starred at Reyie, an angry pout on the former's face. Reyie, meanwhile, tilted her head. "What's wrong, Node? You're normally a ball of… well, overly energetic sunshine…."

"What's wrong, Reyie, is that I'm bored!" Node replied. "Everybody else is too busy to spend time with me!"

"Well… I'm free," Reyie offered.

"Everyone that I TRUST," Node corrected.

"And what's that supposed to me?"

"Well, no offense, but you're a former Argelian soldier, and Upril's suffered a LOT at your empire's hands. It's a little hard to block out."

"None taken," Reyie said. "A few military commanders have given Argelia a very bad image. But not all of us are heartless monsters. Just a couple of major players. Like that bloodthirsty, misogynistic jerk of a former commanding officer we had."

"Misogynistic?" Node questioned.

"Someone who is strongly prejudiced against women," the falcon woman explained. "Not exactly the most positive trait in Argelia, because our empire has been mostly matriarchal since its founding."

Node tilted her head. "Well, I know that. But how are you so sure this person hates women?"

"An air around him is all," Reyie replied. "Ugur hates the idea of women outranking him, thinking them too soft to embrace the true idea of an empire: an ever-expanding force of bloody conquest. As such, he despises East Admiral Sema Aksoy for her more merciful strategies and approaches to this war."

"...Merciful?" Node questioned.

"You're surprised?" Reyie said. "Perhaps I can tell you more about the real players some time. But for now, I think we should resolve your boredom issue." She then spread her wings. "If you'd like, Node, we can have a race."

"A race?" Node questioned. "You want to race?"

"It gets my wings a chance to stretch, and you get to do something fun," Reyie answered. Drawing a line in the sand with her foot, she explained, "So, first to make a full lap around camp and back here, wins."

"Okay," Node nodded. "So… what do I get if I win?"

"Wait, what?" Reyie asked. "W-Why are we betting?"

"Oh come on, live a little!" the jann argued. "If we're going to at least get along, why not give us a real reason to race?"

"I have one," Guaril said as he walked up. "The loser of this race has to help Tawni set up and break down her stage for her next performance. By themselves."

"Mr. Guaril?" Node questioned. "You overheard all of that?"

"You're very loud, ladies," Guaril said. "Also, you're not doing anything. But if it gets your built-up energy out to let the two of you race, I may as well make it productive. I'll count you down." Node summoned her carpet and Reyie spread her wings. "On my three. One… two… three, bye!" He then threw a smoke bomb, causing the two girls to begin coughing. When they recovered, they saw Guaril flipping over a few of the tents before turning back to them. "Looks like, at the rate you're going, you BOTH are going to be helping Tawni!" He then continued running.

"Wait… did the infamous Guaril Dighton just JOIN our race and is cheating?" Reyie questioned.

"Apparently yes, but to be fair, he can't fly," Node said. She then jumped on her magic carpet and flew off after him. Reyie followed behind, her wings flapping ahead.

 _ **Node and Reyie have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

" _Kono mama aruki tsuzuketeiru_

 _Kon'ya mo maasugu Hitori no ashiato tadotte…_

 _Hateshinai dakedo kimi dake wa_

 _Dokoka de matteru Egao tayasazuni_

 _There you will..._

 _{Tonight, I continue to walk, Straight ahead like this,_

 _Leaving behind only a single set of footprints._

 _It's endless, but somewhere out there,_

 _Only you are waiting for me, With an unfading smile._

 _There you will...}"_

Sento swept the stage after another successful performance while singing a song that Tawni, who was returning to the stage after changing back to her usual dress, took for Xuhuan.

" _Be The One, Be The One_

 _All right!_

 _Ashitano no chikyu o nagedasenai kara_

 _Be The Lights, Be the Lights_

 _All right!_

 _Tsuyoku nareru yo Ai wa makenai!_

 _Nanika tasukete sukutte dakishime_

 _Kokoro ni fureruyo todoku yo, tstawere_

 _Be The One, Be The Lights_

 _Message, Okoru yo hibiku yo!_

 _{Be The One, Be The One_

 _All right!_

 _I won't give up to save tomorrow's Earth_

 _Be The Lights, Be The Lights_

 _All right!_

 _I wanna get strong! Love won't lose!_

 _To save, rescue, embrace something,_

 _You've got to touch, reach, send something to the heart!_

 _Be The One, Be The Lights!_

 _Send the message and let it ring!}"_

Sento was interrupted by clapping, and he turned to Tawni. Bravo! Bravo! A fost uimitor, Sento {Bravo! Bravo! That was amazing, Sento}!"

"Hey, Tawni, just finishing cleaning up, and we should be good to go," Sento smirked. "How can I help you?" Sento turned around and spun his broom. "You did a hell of a performance, by the way. I think a few boys and girls have crushes in the audience."

Tawni smiled and curtsied. "Thank you, 'Songbird Sento'. But don't worry, nothing needed from me. Actually, I was coming to help YOU when I heard your tenor that would compliment Father's baritone and my soprano." She performed a cartwheel before leaping into the air, landing in front of Sento while snagging the broom from him, continuing to sweep while dancing. "However, I've listened to quite a few Xuhuan songs, but never have I heard THAT one, since I think I would know a dual Xuhuan-Orobian pop song. May I ask what it is?"

Sento, realizing she heard him, answered, "It is called 'Be The One', a song my mother wrote. She sang it to me whenever I was just a young boy back in our home realm. But you're actually off with the language. It's a mix of Chon'sinian and Ylissean, not Xuhuan and Orobian. I guess the reason why we don't have a hard time speaking each other's language is because of Plegia in my homeland is actually a desert region and the Orobian trade language is similar to the common tongue of Archanea." Tawni blinked, finishing her sweeping. As Sento rolled up the rug, he explained, "Mother told me that it reminded her of the blending of cultures between Chon'sin and Ylisse, and Empress Say'ri of Chon'sin loved it. It was dedicated to the legendary tactician of the Ylissean League."

Tawni frowned as she mused. "I think I've heard the legends of that tactician. I've told THAT story before… it always varied if the tactician was a man or a woman, as well as how the story ended, but they stayed consistent in that the tactician was always connected to the Ylissean royal family and fighting off a dragon bent on destroying humanity for very little reason. I mean, if Rerci was going to do it, it was because we betrayed Her, killed Her Mother, and locked Her away in the Eternal Forge because we believed Her scheming uncle."

Sento lifted the rolled up rug, placing it on his shoulder. "And we're done! Let's get the others to finish tearing down the stage." Both of them walked off the stage to drop off their equipment. "So, is my song really that good? You're the only person who's heard me sing."

"Yes, it is quite lovely and upbeat," Tawni answered while they placed their respective items into the wagon. "Is there any way you can teach me or at least share the sheet music? I don't think it will be that hard for me to learn. I am sure that it will knock the audience's shoes off when we perform it!" She spun around, and leaned in near Sento's face. "I bet your mother would be honored to see it performed, should we ever go… to… Ylisse…?" She slowly paused once she saw Sento frown. "Sento, did I say something wrong?"

Sento shook his head and replied, "It is nothing… just that my parents are watching me from the sky." Tawni gasped. Sento assured her, "But I don't mind if I can teach you the song later. Just give me some time, and I will deliver the lyrics and sheet music to you! In the meantime, I'm sure everyone's hungry, and Himli can't feed the whole caravan by himself! Later!" Sento took off towards the camp.

Tawni frowned, looking down. "De ce sună familiar acest {Why does this sound familiar}…?" She gasped once again, remembering something. "Oh nu, acum știu că l-am cunoscut pe Sento de undeva! Pun pariu că și Tatăl și Mama știu deja. Mă întreb dacă băieții știu și ei {Oh no, now I KNOW that I knew Sento from somewhere! I bet Father and Mother already know, too. I wonder if the boys know, as well}?"

 _ **Tawni and Sento have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Kizil walked around the camp, sighing in content. He then turned towards Guaril's tent, where he was having a meeting with the elders. "Bir parçam yardım edemez ama orada neden bahsettiğini merak ediyorum {Part of me can't help but wonder what they're talking about in there}..." the Argelian muttered.

"Rom baro, esti sigur de templieri argelici {Rom baro, are you certain of the Argelian templar}?" a male voice questioned. "Nu pot să nu observ că a fost rătăcit de lagăr, uitându-se în jurul tuturor suspectelor {I can't help but notice he's been wandering about the camp, looking around all suspicious}."

"Păi, cred că ne putem întreba ce face {Well, I guess we can ask what he's been doing}," Guaril replied. He then looked outside, and said, "Kizil, you're not my daugther, you can't eavesdrop for a damn."

"You… you knew I was here?" Kizil said.

"As I said, you're not my daughter who I trained in stealth for YEARS," Guaril repeated. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to explain WHY you're walking about like a lost puppy, the elders will be satisfied."

"Oh," Kizil realized. "Well, it's a… force of habit to go on bi-hourly patrols about camp. I'm an ex-soldier, so it's something that, if we're going to be working together, I'm either going to have to break or you're going to have to deal with."

"And how do we know you're NOT going to just, in an attempt to get back in your former employer's good graces, wave your Argelian comrades over to attack us?" a different male questioned.

"Because Admiral Ugur wants me dead for disobeying his orders to raze villages and slaughter dozens of innocents," Kizil replied. "Again, I'm an ex-soldier, so I'm expecting the war to be brutal and I'm not afraid to kill people on command. Apart from Akiba and Guaril, here, I probably have the highest kill count of anyone here. But I have STANDARDS. Ugur likes the idea of an incredibly bloody war and has struck a deal with one of the most powerful nobles in Argelia to get his kicks off in conquest. I understand that, as bad as you gypsies have it here, your people have faced even WORSE persecution in Argelia, so you have no reason to trust me. But I owe my life to Guaril and his daughter. I'd be either dead or being tortured by the Poswali if not for Tawni choosing to save me. The least I can do is help keep the people they care about safe."

"Interesting," the female elder smiled. She then turned to Guaril, and said, "Foarte bine, rom baro, am încredere în decizia ta de al păstra în preajmă. Dar ar trebui să-l ții cu ochii pe el. E un cățeluș plictisit {Very well, rom baro, I trust your decision to keep him around. But you should still keep an eye on him. He's a bored puppy}." The elders then left the tent.

"Congrats, you can stay," Guaril sighed. "But you need to better use your time here in the caravan, Kizil. You're making people wary going around in full orichalcum plate mail heavily armed all the time."

"What about your wife?" Kizil replied.

"Akiba took some getting used to as well," Guaril recalled. "Still wears her upper armor around everyone but me and Tawni. But all things considered, she's lightened up. She doesn't carry her weapons around in camp outside of patrol."

 _ **Guaril and Kizil have reached Support Level C.**_

* * *

Sento walked into his tent, while humming a song to himself and taking off his coat.

" _Haruka sono saki e to kimi no michi wo oikaze ni notte yukou_

 _Sagasu kotae tayasuku mitsukari wa shinai hajime kara wattete fumidashitanda_

 _{Following your path that leads far beyond here, let's ride this tailwind and go!_

 _The answer we seek, won't be simple to find. But we knew it when we started and began_

 _to walk.}"_

While Sento took a breath to prepare for his next verse, Node poked her head in, a small smile on her face.

" _Nandomo toomawari shite yume no ashiato_

 _Kakitashiteita sekai chizu wo hirogetara_

 _{Taking detours many times, leaving footprints in our dreams._

 _But when we open the world map we've been sketching a long time…}"_

Sento stopped singing, and turned to his trunk. However, he gasped in horror as he saw it wide open. "What in the world?!" He ran over to it, and knelt down, staring at the clearly rummaged through contents. "Who touched my stuff!? My possessions, my pictures… my MANUSCRIPTS!? I was saving those for Ylisse!"

"Oh, why wait?" Node questioned. "They're good! Like, really good! Especially _Dragonfly."_ Sento turned to Node, seeing her holding up a manuscript and a few books, all of which had different covers, but all were titled _Firefly_. "Oh, Sento, if you were shy about this stuff, all you had to do was come to your friendly neighborhood genie, and ask HER to take your work to a publisher. I already know how you'll thank me." After clearing her throat, she said, in an exact copy of Sento's voice that disturbed him for a moment, "Oh, Node, thank you! I'm going to be FAMOUS when this hits the shelves! Will you marry me?" Returning to her normal voice, she said, "Well, how can I possibly turn that down? But we may be moving a little too face, but we start by picking out what cover you—"

"You violated my privacy, broke into my stuff, and you stole one of my manuscripts without my consent!?" Sento interjected. Node frowned.

"Well, I got bored, trying to figure you out," Node explained. "So, I snuck in here, one day, and spotted your trunk. However, you thought ahead and used an orichalcum lock. So I asked some of the others to help me out. The Romani girls here are really nice… and great at lockpicking, reading, and suggestions." Ignoring Sento's growing rage, she said, "After we took turns reading, we all voted _Dragonfly_ was your best one. So, I found a publisher in Cruibia, and after a few edits and negotiations thanks to a few negotiations, we think we're ready to publish it. Of course, there are a few fees to work around, but we'll manage. I just borrowed your manuscript again just to give it a once-over and send a copy to the Cruibian royal family! The Poswali haven't gotten back to yet, though." She then pulled out a letter. "Oh, that reminds me, you got a letter from Princesses Yasmin and Janiya for your story! It took a lot of effort to smuggle it in Cruibia, but they loved it! We just need your opinion on the cover!" She handed him the letter, only now noticing him shaking. Tilting her head, she asked, "Sento… I'm sorry for breaking in here, but… I wanted to grow closer to you and help. We all did. Are you ok—"

"Node?" Sento finally spoke.

"Yes?"

"Get out!" Node jumped back, fear on her face. He glowered, "You've been nosy before, but this is too freaking far!"

"...Sento," Node whimpered, tears on her face, "I'm just… as a genie… I just want to help people… you too. You seem so lonely and sad I thought you would like having one of your stories published."

"You can help me by staying the HELL away from me!" he roared. "Leave. NOW!" Node let the tears fall, and floated out of the tent. Sento, realizing he was too harsh with her, groaned. However, it only got worse when he saw that several female Romani were starring in horror at Node's retreating form, and then they plus a few of the members of Tawni's group turned to look at him. "Oh, no…."

 _ **Node and Sento have reached Support Level C. The Roast of Sento will begin.**_

* * *

Akiba's Notes: Alright, that should be the chapter. You know, I personally think Sento had a POINT in being a little ticked off at Node for violating his privacy, but we'll have to discuss that later. As we'll discuss reviews.

Anyway, an announcement. The author will be focusing on _Mega Man Star Network,_ but he will eventually get the Howe Support Chapter up by mid-July. If you wish to help write support for that, please PM or email the author.

Hope you enjoy your day!


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